Between Heaven & Hell
by lostinmysticfalls
Summary: Caroline and Klaus end up in a deserted island, but things aren't what they seem. They soon learn they must rely on each other if they want to stay alive. Emotions run high and matters of the heart come into question. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**I came up with the idea for this story two days ago and since then, all I've been doing is typing like a crazy woman. Seriously, right now, I'm having a hard time even focusing on the screen. I guess this means I need to take a break! **

**I have 10 chapters planned out for this story but it can end up being a chapter shorter or a chapter longer depending on how the story develops. I will try my best to update as frequently as possible, one thing I can promise is that I will not make you wait longer than a week for an update (considering I want to have it finished by 4/19 AKA the day we get a new episode, updating weekly is virtually impossible).**

**Rated M for later chapters ;)**

**Please review and let me know if you're enjoying it, it's always extra motivation for me to keep writing :) Thanks in advance & happy readings!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Spell Gone Wrong<strong>

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><p>Klaus hung in the middle of the Salvatore's mansion, vervain dripping off his body. His clothing was torn and deep wounds covered his torso. His skin was wounded and the vervain had greatly weakened him. He barely had the strength to keep his head up and his vision was becoming blurry, to where he could hardly make out the shadow figures walking around him; like predators stalking their prey. No sooner had his body began to heal and his strength return than another splash of vervain-infused water hit him.<p>

"So how does it feel to be the one hanging from chains this time around?" Damon's voice was taunting as he smirked in satisfaction.

"Go to hell," Klaus muttered.

"Actually, funny that you say that. Since that is exactly where you'll be heading in, hmmm, I don't know, 10-15 minutes?" Damon replied, turning to Bonnie for confirmation.

"Can't we just do this is silence? Your bickering is giving me a headache." Stefan complained as he looked over Bonnie's shoulder.

She had the grimoire opened on the floor as she finished lighting the last candle. She was quiet for the most part, working diligently and making sure she had done everything correctly. Stefan poured himself a drink and sat down, keeping an eye on Klaus from a distance. They all turned the attention to the door and watched Elena walk inside in a hurry.

"What is going on here?" She asked, looking alarmed at what the group was up to.

"Not much, just giving Klaus a taste of his sister's medicine." Damon raised his eyebrows, and pumped up his chest in pride.

"You can't kill him, Damon. We know how this bloodline thing works. Tyler will die along with him!" She spoke as her fingers moved swiftly over her phone's buttons.

"Relax, Elena. We're not going to kill him, but we are going to do the next best thing." He paused for a moment, looking back at Klaus before hosing him down with more vervain. "We're going to make him disappear... poof!" He turned back to her and smiled, a confused look appeared on Elena's face.

"I'll be performing a banishment spell." Bonnie explained. "And if it all works the way it's supposed to, he will be sent into another realm. Kind of like limbo, for vampires." She stated.

"And if it doesn't?" She countered. Stefan and Damon both rolled their eyes at her question.

"What is he going to do, Elena? Look at him, he doesn't even have enough strength to keep his eyes open." Stefan replied.

"All I'm saying is, we can't afford to kill him. Not when the life of one of our own is on the line." Once again, she reminded them that Tyler's life was also at stake.

"Enough yapping, get on with the action!" Damon cut in. "Bonnie, begin the spell. And you..." he stepped in front of Elena, "No more questions, once the spell has been started it must be finished without any interruptions."

Elena made a zipping movement over her mouth with her fingers, raising her eyebrows at Damon. She looked over at Stefan who was still busy with his drink and approached him, taking a seat next to him. Bonnie began chanting, the lights in the mansion started flickering and a rush of wind swirled around the room, elongating the fire burning from the candles. Her eyes were shut and she began moving back and forth as if in a trance. Klaus screamed out in pain and Elena began to feel more and more concerned with every second that passed. Bonnie picked up the white oak stake that they'd taken from Alaric and was just moments from completing the ritual. She lifted it up in the air, standing up and walking towards Klaus.

"She's going to kill him. Stop her she's going to kill him!" Elena tried to run to her but Stefan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back.

"Be quiet Elena," he whispered into her ear and she struggled to set herself free. "She's not going to stab him, she's going to stab the ground below him, to open the portal." Elena stopped resisting, looking at him with suspicion.

Just as Bonnie was about to take a strike at the ground below a flash of blonde hair moved across the room. Damon and Stefan were both caught off guard as Caroline managed to get inside the circle and shield Klaus with her body. The vervain burnt her as soon as he touched him and the stake hit the ground with force, everything happening in the blink of an eye.

"Noooo!" Elena cried out as both Caroline and Klaus got sucked into the invisible portal below them and Bonnie collapsed to the ground.

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><p>The chains Klaus had hung from swung back and forth, the candle flames had been extinguished and the smoke lingered in the air. The ground inside the circle was as solid as it had always been. Tears ran down Elena's face as Stefan helped Bonnie come to. Damon paced back and forth, he was visibly furious.<p>

"What just happened?" He screamed! "How did Barbie, where did she..." He pulled on his hair and growled in despair, his eyes darting towards Elena, who was still crying. "What are we supposed to do now? We can't reverse the spell, Bonnie doesn't have enough power." He was shaken but at the same time satisfied that they had rid themselves of Klaus.

They laid Bonnie on the sofa, she was exhausted and weakened. Elena confessed to having messaged Caroline when she thought they were planning to kill him. All she was trying to do was save Tyler but instead she got her friend banished along with Klaus to who knows where.

"There's a way out." Stefan said, calmly.

Damon and Elena waited for him to continue, paying very close attention to what he was going to say. Damon leaned against a bookshelf, folding his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes.

"Bonnie tried explaining it to you too," Stefan looked at Damon, "but you were too busy celebrating ahead of time that you didn't even pay attention to what she had to say."

"Well what is it, brother? Spill it." He demanded.

"There's a portal in that realm as well, but it's not easy to find. If we can somehow give Caroline a hint, maybe she can find it. That's the only shot we have at getting her back home." Stefan's words weren't very optimistic but they gave Elena hope and comfort.

They were busy devising a plan when Tyler came rushing through the door.

"Here we go..." Damon muttered.

"Where's Caroline?" He asked, anger in his voice.

Damon rolled his eyes and did his best to calm the hybrid down. After a long and thorough explanation he had no other choice but to knock him out and lock him in their basement.

"Was that really necessary?" Elena asked as Damon walked back into the room.

"It was either that or getting bitten, and trust me, I'm not going through that again." He stared into Elena's eyes, they both knew what had happened the last time Tyler Lockwood had dug his fangs into him.

Bonnie regained her strength and came up with an idea to guide Caroline to the source of the portal but just like Stefan, wasn't entirely convinced it would work. She explained that time in that realm was different; a day in Mystic Falls could mean a week in there. It was going to be hard figuring out how to get 'in touch' with her if they didn't know where she was.

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><p>The sun radiated on Caroline's skin, burning bright against her closed eyes. She could see the taint of red and orange behind her eyelids. Her head felt like it was going to explode. She opened her eyes trying to focus on her surroundings and lifted her hand up, examining the back of her head. The wound that was there had already healed but she could still feel some pain.<p>

"Good, you're awake." Klaus leaned against a tree, looking down at her.

His black shirt was torn and ragged, there was dirt on his face and his hair was dismantled. His jeans were in a similar condition. Her nostrils caught the salty smell of ocean water as a cool breeze hit her face.

"What happened? Are we dead?" She asked, her eyes widening at the thought. "No, we can't be dead, otherwise, if I'm here with you, it must mean I'm in hell..." She closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "wake up Caroline, wake up, wake up..."

Klaus chuckled a bit and shook his head. "No, we are not dead. And you are most definitely not dreaming sweetheart." He looked around, his eyes focusing on the ocean. "Something tells me we're going to wish we were dead though."

They were surrounded by water, endless miles of blue sparkling waves. The roar of the sea was the only sound around. Klaus walked onto the beach, he took off his shoes and walked on the hot sand, letting the water reach his toes. Caroline watched him as she pushed herself up and dusted herself off. She ran her hand through her hair and followed, hesitant at first.

"Then where are we?" She yelled out behind him. He turned around to face her.

"I think your friend Bonnie said she was banishing me to limbo..." He said loud and clearly.

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows, not knowing what to make of this revelation. How could limbo be such a beautiful place, and why were they here? She sat on the beach, crossing her legs.

"I don't understand." She yelled back. "I thought they were going to kill you."

Klaus walked towards her, a smile on his face.

"Don't even think about it," she replied, looking up at him and shielding the sun with her hand, "the only reason I tried to save you is because Tyler would die along with you." She assured him. Klaus shrugged, not believing her entirely.

"It's true." She said, coming to her feet.

"I could've sworn, I saw a hint of doubt in your eyes that night at the dance." He replied with a smirk.

Caroline rolled her eyes and laughed. "You keep thinking that." She said, walking away from him.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I need to find a way out of here." She replied.

Klaus ran after her, grabbing a hold of her arm. "Look, love, this may look like paradise but looks can be deceiving."

"Yeah tell me about it." She mumbled under her breath, defiantly.

"I think it's better if we stick together." He said, ignoring her comment.

Caroline stood silent for a moment and then looked down at Klaus' hand on her arm. He let go and put his hands in the air, she couldn't help smiling at the gesture.

"Fine," she replied, "but if you even in the slightest try anything funny, I will not put up with it." She warned.

"And what exactly, constitutes 'funny'?" He asked. Caroline rolled her eyes and walked back to the beach, Klaus followed with a smile on his face.

The sun began setting and the air was becoming colder. They both knew they couldn't stay on the beach forever; finding shelter was a priority, even for vampires. Caroline started making suggestions of what they should do. The planner that she was, would have written it all down if she had a pen and paper. Klaus only listened and smiled at how adorable she looked when she felt like she knew what she was talking about. The forest area of the island was now covered in darkness but something caught Klaus' attention out of the corner of his eye. Caroline noticed his gaze drifted away from her.

"What is it?" She asked, frightened, turning around to look over her shoulder.

"I thought I saw something." He replied.

"An animal?" Her frightened look suddenly turned into a smile. "Maybe we can eat!"

"Yeah, maybe we-" he stopped again, interrupted by the figure running through the trees.

"It's not an animal." He replied. Caroline grabbed a hold of his arm with one hand and without thinking, clutched on to his shirt with the other.

"We're not alone." She stated. Klaus looked down at the frightened blonde and placed an arm around her.

"Klaus..." she began, "_this_ would constitute 'funny'." She said, but didn't let go of him. He smiled to himself before a concerned look appeared on his face again, wondering what he had seen.

"We need to get moving and find a place to rest." He said softly.

They surveyed the area, looking for higher ground, by this time the last traces of sun disappeared over the horizon and the moon shined brightly, reflecting over the calm ocean. The stars looked beautiful, much bigger and brighter than Caroline had ever seen. She stared for a while and took a deep breath. The chirping of crickets echoed through the forest and the occasional hoot of an owl added to the night sounds. They decided to seek refuge in the cliffs a few miles down the beach.

After having reached the spot they both realized they were tired. They were breathing a little heavy and looked at each other baffled.

"I've never experienced this before." Caroline announced as they continued walking, looking for any crevice deep enough for them to climb into.

"It's this place. It must be messing with our vampire abilities. I'd assume being a hybrid would be no different." He assessed.

Caroline looked up at the side of one of the cliffs and noticed an opening between the rocks. She pointed to it and Klaus nodded. They climbed up and laid on the hard ground, catching their breath.

"Well if we can't use vampire speed without feeling like we ran a marathon, this is going to suck." She said, turning her head to look at him.

After a while they both sat at the edge of the opening, their legs dangling down, nothing but ocean in front of them. Caroline once again, looked up at the sky, admiring the stars.

"I've never seen anything more beautiful." She said.

"Me either." Klaus replied, without taking his eyes off of her. She realized what he had meant and looked down embarrassed by the compliment. "Wow, you really never give up, do you?" She finally asked, to which he only replied with a smile.

"If I ask you a question, you promise to be honest?" he asked, his gaze fixated on the sea.

"What is it?" She replied with curiosity.

"Are you in love with him? Is he the person you want to spend the rest of forever with?" He looked at her.

"First of all, that's not one question, it's two," she said, raising up two fingers, "second of all, that's a really personal question, even for you." She stared at him in silence and then continued. "But... to be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure. I mean, I love him but I just don't know if I'm _in love_ with him." She mumbled. "And I've never really given enough thought to what the rest of forever would be like, so..." She paused.

Klaus looked at her, trying to hide the slight happiness on his face. He looked up at the sky, the stars still shining like fireflies flying around during a warm summer evening.

"I guess none of that matters now, I'm stuck here now. If I'm going to spend the rest of forever with anyone it looks like it's going to be you." She opened her mouth after having said those last words and immediately shook her head. "You know what I mean, we're stuck here. _I have no other choice_." She reiterated.

"No. I understand, I don't have a shot in hell with you, or should I say _limbo_?" He replied, walking back into the innermost part of the cave. "We should get some rest, tomorrow we'll keep searching for a way out of here."

He lied down on the ground, to say the hard floor was uncomfortable was an understatement. Caroline lied down next to him and immediately began complaining about how hard it was. She laughed at him when he offered his chest as her headrest. Klaus closed his eyes contemplating her answer about Tyler; perhaps he had a chance after all. He began thinking that maybe this wasn't the worst thing that had happened, the prospect of being stuck in limbo was starting to look a lot better.

_To be continued..._

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><p><em><em>**How's it looking so far? Tell me all about it in the review ;) Update soon...**


	2. Chapter 2

******I come bearing gifts! Ok, not really, just this chapter. Tomorrow is Easter and I won't be home all day so the next chapter won't be uploaded until Monday. **

**I'd like to thank all of you wonderful people who took the time to review! I have to admit, I'm a little scared I won't live up to your expectations but I promise I will do my best! Ok, that's all from me. Without further ado, here's Chapter 2, happy readings! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Something in the Water<strong>

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><p>The rising sun began to peer inside the crevice, notifying them that a new day had begun. Klaus opened his eyes to notice the blonde lying next to him. At one point in the middle of the night she had nestled herself closer to him, her body curled up with her head resting on the side of his chest. He smiled but didn't move as not to disturb her. He noticed how peaceful she looked; so helpless and innocent. He couldn't help chuckling, knowing she was anything but. The slight movement of his chest caused Caroline's eyes to slowly open. She squinted, offended by the blinding sunlight and brought her hand up to rub her eyes. As soon as she realized the position she was in, she retracted from him, almost like two repelling magnets.<p>

"You got cold last night." Klaus informed her, propping himself up on his elbows.

Caroline looked at him suspiciously, as if his words had some form of double meaning. She stalled to respond, fearing that she'd somehow say the wrong thing.

"I guess." She stated, quietly. Klaus smiled as he came to his feet, walking to the edge of the cliff. "So how exactly are we going to get out of this place?" She asked.

Below them, the ocean waves crashed into the rocks with force. There were no birds in the sky and what he could see of the forest looked ominous even in plain daylight. He was in deep thought for a few seconds until he finally turned back to face her. She was still sitting on the floor, resting her back against the rocky wall, her eyebrows slightly arched, like a cat perking up its ears in attention.

"When you're alive for a thousand years, you hear a lot of things; legends, tales, some real, some fake," he began, "when I fled back to the Old World, I met a vampire, who told me of a place similar to this, but I never thought it actually existed." Caroline furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips, listening to his words carefully.

"What else did he say?" She asked.

"He said there's only one way in and one way out, meaning..."

"Meaning, we might never find this gateway, passage, or whatever the hell it's called." She finished his thought, annoyance in her voice.

He looked at her with a serious demeanor, perhaps she was right. They could literally spend the rest of eternity looking for just the right spot and never find it. This place was meant to be a prison, after all.

"Is it possible to die here?" She asked with a slight tremble in her voice.

"You're not going to die here, Caroline. I'll make sure of that." He stated with confidence.

Caroline took in his words and relinquished a smile as she too came to her feet and walked to the edge of the cliff. The ocean breeze was soothing but they both knew they couldn't stay in the cave much longer. If they were going to find the passage back to Mystic Falls, they had to get moving.

"It would probably be a good idea to explore this place a bit more, maybe we can get a clue of where this _door_ _to our world_ can be." She laughed at how ridiculous it sounded, but she knew it was far from a joke.

They climbed down the cliffs, suddenly Caroline was thankful for that summer Elena had convinced her to take a rock climbing class instead of salsa dancing. She exhaled, relieved once her feet touched solid ground again. The beach was covered in tide pools and she couldn't help stopping to observe the tiny creatures moving within them. Red sea urchins danced around in the clear water and orange and purple starfish clung to the rocks. The sea anemones wiggled around as a tiny crab made its way across the water. She had the urge to dip her hand in and touch but was too afraid she'd harm them. Klaus only looked on, she was like a child discovering something for the first time and he was pleased to see her so happy.

"Sorry, we can keep going." She said.

"No need to apologize, sweetheart. But I do agree that moving on would be a good idea." He replied.

They figured using their vampire speed would cut their time of exploration in half but the fact that they had to stick together was of some disadvantage. They could cover twice the amount of land if they split up but Klaus wasn't willing to let her out of her sight. After only a few minutes they reached a location in the northwestern side of the island. The forest in that site was denser, giant plants covered the floor, making it difficult for them to walk. Just like the first time, they were both out of breath and extremely tired.

"I feel weak, not to mention hungry." Caroline uttered, taking a seat on a broken tree trunk lying on the ground.

Klaus struggled to catch his breath and he too admitted that using his vampire speed had drained him of his energy, lack of food was now becoming a issue as well.

"We have to refrain from using it so much, I feel worse than yesterday when we ran to the cliffs." He stated.

Caroline nodded and scoot herself over on the trunk, making room for him to take a seat. He sat down, bending over, placing his head between his knees until he felt recovered. They decided to hike through the forest instead, carefully searching for animals and fresh drinking water. Klaus suddenly stopped, spotting the mysterious figure wandering about once again. It was quick and slick, moving from one place to the other without making a sound. He looked over at Caroline who seemed unaware, her foot hitting a root, causing her to trip and almost lose her balance. His hands caught on to her waist as he helped her regain her composure. He brought her in closer to him and she stared into his eyes in silence, a warm feeling spreading inside her. Being so close to him gave her a weird feeling, she could only describe it as a slight anxiety attack. His eyes searched the area around them and the figure was gone but the lingering feeling of being watched made him uneasy. He decided to keep it to himself, alarming her wouldn't do any good. She stared back at her and let go of her waist, as they continued their trek through the forest.

The sun reached its highest point in the sky and even the shade provided by the thick flora wasn't enough to keep the heat away. They were both drenched in sweat and Caroline was not enjoying it. She hated being dirty and gross and wished more than ever she was back home, where she could stand in her shower, cold water hitting her hair and cleansing her of the dirt. Her ears suddenly picked up the faint sound of running water in the distance and her face lit up with joy.

"Do you hear that?" She asked, looking at Klaus. He smiled picking up the sound as well.

"It's coming from that direction," he pointed to the north and they both smiled wide, hoping what they were hearing was actual spring water and not the ocean.

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><p>After a few hours of walking they discovered what she could only describe as an oasis. Beautiful crystalline water filled a swimming hole as streams ran down from the mountains above. The surrounding area was the brightest of greens and Caroline wasted no time taking off her shoes. She stopped after unbuttoning her jeans and turned to Klaus.<p>

"Well, what are you waiting for, love? Go on..." He smirked.

Of course he'd want to watch. He was being sweet and kind but Caroline knew he liked her so he wouldn't mind a free show. She looked at him defiantly and placed her hands on her hips.

"Here, I'll go first." He grabbed the hem of his not only torn but also grubby shirt and peeled it off his body. "See, it's not a big deal."

Caroline suddenly felt short of breath but she couldn't help noticing how toned his upper body was. He was well built but she'd never would have guessed he looked this good. She slightly shook her head trying to rid herself of the thought and inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to appear indifferent to his advances.

"A shirtless man and a topless girl are not the same thing." She replied, looking over at the water that looked so inviting and refreshing.

Klaus smiled and tilted his head, his admiration obvious. "Suit yourself. I on the other hand, am dying to rid myself of all this muck." He went on to unbutton his jeans and in one swift motion pulled them off along with his undergarments.

Caroline's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open at the sight. She brought her hands up to cover her eyes and turned to face a different direction.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed and then she heard a loud splash.

"The water's amazing, love. You're missing out." He bragged.

Caroline watched him swim around, his naked body distorted by the ripples in the water. She would have never imagined she'd see him naked and never in a million years would she have thought that visual would have been so... No, she shut her eyes trying to think of anything but what she had just seen. She hadn't gotten a very good look at it, having covered her eyes almost immediately, but she'd seen it long enough to realize that it was, well, long. She screamed internally, trying to control her thoughts. She blamed the island for messing with her mind. There was no way she could be so drawn to him, he was the enemy. However, she couldn't deny that he was attractive and his accent was charming and in a way seductive. She took another look at him as he placed his head underneath one of the streams.

"Ok, I'll come in," she relented, " but I need you to close your eyes or look away or something."

He turned his back to her and she kept an eye on him as she stripped off her clothes. Her shirt came off first and then her jeans, she debated on whether to take off the rest or leave it on but eventually she unclipped the band of her bra and tossed it on top of the other garments. She stepped on the clothes and let her underwear slide down her legs. She walked to the edge of the sinkhole and carefully dipped her feet into the water; it was crisp and cool. Wasting no time, she dove in head first, her body felt instantaneously invigorated. Her head popped out of the water and her feet swirled around to keep her afloat. Klaus was now turned but was respectful and kept his distance to not make her feel any more uncomfortable.

"You're right, this feels amazing." She said, dipping her head back.

He couldn't help noticing her chest rising up below the water's surface, her breasts a bit contorted by the current but still breathtaking. A sudden flow of blood filled up his dick as he felt himself harden. He looked up at the surrounding area and tried to breath himself out of it but watching her swim around and wondering what the rest of her looked like, made it impossible. Her back was now turned to him and as he submerged himself underneath the water, it took all his strength to keep himself from opening his eyes and taking a good look at her. Minutes went by, both of them enjoying the feeling of cleanliness, but he noticed the sun was beginning to hide its head behind the trees.

"That's not funny..." She warned.

Klaus looked over at her, wondering what she was referring to as a confused expression took over his face.

"Stop it! I don't like being..." she turned around and paused, "...tickled." She muttered.

She swallowed hard, a terrified expression on her face when she noticed he was at least six feet away from her. She breathed in pauses and exhaled deeply before looking down at her feet. The water was clear and even though the sun was beginning to disappear behind the trees, there was still enough light remaining to make out everything in sight.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked, swimming towards her. She didn't even care that he had gotten closer.

"I think there's something in the water." She whispered, trying not to splash around so much.

"It's probably just a fish. We should be getting out anyway, the sun will be setting soon and we need to find a place to sleep." He started to swim toward the edge when Caroline frantically grabbed a hold of his back.

Her hands wrapped around his neck and her body pressed up against his spine. He didn't know what to make of it, all he knew was that it was the worst time for her to do that, there was no way he was going to step out of the water with a huge boner in display. His thoughts were interrupted by her screeching screams as she wrapped her legs around his waist, crying out in terror.

"Snake!" was all she managed to spit out.

Klaus turned around, Caroline still attached to his back. He looked down into the depths and saw a giant black snake, about twenty feet long and its girth as thick as a tree trunk, swimming in circles. It's belly was bright red with big yellow eyes bulging out of its skull, it took notice of them, striking at his leg, the sharp teeth making contact with his skin. Blood dripped down, clouding the water around them. He swam towards land as the snake broke the surface, standing up like a Cobra with its forked tongue sticking out. Klaus knew he had to react quickly, or they'd end up being its next meal. Without hesitating he used his vampire speed to get himself and Caroline out of the water, safely. But the snake didn't budge, it crawled out and slithered towards her. She tossed a large rock at it, blood spilling from its head but it wasn't enough to stop it. Just as it was about to strike again, Klaus pierced its head with a sharp piece of a log. It fell over, next to Caroline as she hyperventilated in panic and finished it off by smashing its skull with a large rock.

He grabbed a hold of her, moving her out of the way. After a few minutes of getting over the shock, she realized she was in his arms, both wet and naked. They looked at each other awkwardly without saying anything as they scattered around to find their clothes. Darkness fell over the forest and they hurried to find shelter for the night.

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><p>"Looks like there's a storm coming." Klaus said looking up at the sky, the areas visible between the trees were becoming covered in dark grey clouds.<p>

A flash of lightning lit up the island for a quick second and a few minutes later it was followed by the loud roaring sound of thunder.

"I've only seen storms like this on the Discovery Channel." Caroline said with a giggle, carefully stepping through the forest floor. "Sounds like a rough one."

Klaus placed his hand in front of her to stop her from stepping into a sinkhole covered in debris. She stopped dead on her tracks and smiled in gratitude, impressed by his quick reaction. Another flash of lighting lit up the sky and this time it took less than a minute for the thunder to strike.

"I think this place will do." Klaus said, motioning with his head to an opening between the thick roots of a tree. He knew it would provide enough protection from the rain.

They crawled underneath it, the hollow space increasing in size once they were inside. The ground was a bit more comfortable than the stone floor of the cliffs they had stayed in the night before. Caroline curled up on her side as he lied on his back next to her. Water began pouring down on the forest, the sound the raindrops dripping through the leaves and hitting the ground was comforting, in a way.

"Klaus," she began, he turned and waited for her to continue, "I never said thank you." She whispered.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you die, remember?" He said with a smile.

"Who would've thought, the ruthless, evil hybrid... a hero in disguise." She muttered, staring into his blue eyes.

He huffed and rolled his eyes, somehow offended by the compliment, but he couldn't deny that he was different with her around. All traces of evil disappeared when she was near. He watched her close her eyes and slip into a deep slumber until he too was overtaken by sleep.

_To be continued..._

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><p><em><em>**Thank you guys for reading! Don't forget to review ;) Also if you have any questions or just wanna say hello, catch me on Tumblr (reedusstew) I always follow back :) and Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Here I am again, with a new update :) You'll notice this chapter is shorter than the previous ones but it's better this way than trying to stretch it out and make the writing suffer. Also, just wanted to let you guys know that Chapter 4 will be uploaded on Thursday.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Alone in the Dark<strong>

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><p>They woke up to what they figured was the next morning but the sky outside was still dark and the rain was ceaseless, the wind was picking up speed, swaying the trees back and forth like flags. The lighting and thunder still made periodic appearances and the forest floor was muddy, puddles forming in every ditch.<p>

"We're gonna have to wait it out, aren't we?" Caroline asked, as she sat up, peering her head from underneath to look up at the sky.

"I'm afraid so, we won't get far, not like this." Klaus replied.

They both sat back inside and watched the rain fall, Caroline was now feeling hungrier than ever. Her stomach growled and she looked at him embarrassed. He smiled at her and admitted he was hungry too. Neither of them had thought of even feeding off the snake, Caroline felt sick just thinking about it. The rain kept falling and it didn't seem to be ready to end any time soon. There was no sign of clear skies anywhere and as the hours went by, they became more and more convinced that they'd probably end up losing a day stuck under that tree because of it.

"Why do you go by Klaus, anyway?" She asked, breaking the silence that had taken over.

"That's my name." He replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, but not everyone calls you that. I've heard your siblings call you Nik before." She said.

Klaus looked at her and smiled, knowing this meant that she had paid more attention to him than she'd led on.

"Mikael named me Niklaus but ever since our _fallout_, I've detested the name. I've introduced myself as Klaus to everyone I've ever met but my siblings like to stick to the nickname I had as a child." He explained.

Caroline nodded, understanding where he was coming from. Klaus smiled, thinking back to those days.

"We used to run around and do all the things children do. Rebekah and I were always very close, she started calling me Nik, then Kol picked up on the name as well."

He wasn't extremely detailed in his account but Caroline was glad he was opening up to her about such things. She could only imagine how hard it must have been growing up in a family where your own father sees you as a rare thing. She had only gotten a taste of it herself but it was enough for her to understand.

"Then the plague hit and it all went to hell. Promises of a new world kept us afloat." He picked up a stick and started doodling on the dirt.

Caroline looked on and listened attentively as he continued with his story.

"Mystic Falls was a beautiful land, you know? We thought our lives would be better there, we thought we had escaped the horrors of the Old World." He paused, his mind lost in memories of the past. "But we only left one nightmare to enter into a new one. The worst of nightmares..." His eyes glistened and his lips slightly parted, letting out a sigh.

"I'm..." Caroline mumbled, "I'm sorry." She said, sincerely.

"No, Caroline." He cupped her face, "_I'm_ sorry." He replied.

She had heard the whole story from Elena already but listening to Klaus tell it was much more raw and powerful. She couldn't help feeling sorry for him, a sudden urge to hug him and comfort him came over her. Her hands wrapped around him as she held him close. She noticed the rain was still falling but with less force and then something in the distance caught her eye. An animal pranced across the forest and a smile spread across her face, suddenly the feeling of hunger returning to her stomach. They released each other as she pointed to what she had just seen.

"Did you see the figure too?" He asked.

"What? No." She replied. "Well I mean, yes, but I'm sure it was an animal." She clarified.

Klaus looked outside. "I don't see anything."

"I don't see it anymore either, but I swear it was some kind of animal. Maybe a small deer or wild dog, I don't know." She said, squinting her eyes.

"I'll go look." He said, standing up. "We both need to eat."

Caroline grabbed a hold of his hand before he walked out. "Be careful." She said before letting go. He nodded with a smile and disappeared between the trees.

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><p>She wasn't sure how long he had been gone but she knew it had been a while, the sky was darker than before and she figured night time was approaching. The storm had not ceased but the wind seemed to be dying down. She lied on the floor, propped up on one arm and grabbed the stick Klaus had been using to doodle on the dirt. She wrote her name in big letters and then proceeded to draw herself as a stick figure, laughing at how bad she was at it. She noticed the small pieces of loose rock on the floor began to move and her ears picked up a faint rumbling sound. It started to get louder, almost as if it was getting closer, she covered her ears as the sound intensified but it suddenly stopped. She stuck her head outside, surveying her surroundings, unable to spot anything out of the ordinary. After a few minutes of silence the rumbling returned and this time the ground below her began shaking uncontrollably.<p>

"An earthquake?" She asked herself, as she stumbled to her feet, grabbing on to one of the roots to keep her stability. Dirt began falling on her head and she coughed as she accidentally inhaled some of it.

The trembling became even more violent and she closed her eyes as if that would make it all go away. When she opened them again she saw the animal running across the forest, like she'd seen earlier. Opening her eyes wide enough to see, she followed its movements until it came to a halt. It's glowing eyes making contact with hers and a loud growl escaping from its mouth. She could make out its fangs, salivating in anger and she knew this was no ordinary wild dog; it was a werewolf and it was coming towards her.

In an instant she ran from underneath the cover of the tree, looking for higher ground but there was nothing in sight. Her strength was diminishing with every second that passed by but her instinct to survive wouldn't let her feet stop to rest. She rummaged through plants and bushes, branches scratching at her face. Her foot got stuck in between some vines in the ground and she came plummeting down, landing in a puddle of mud and leaves. She turned over, desperately trying to free her foot, when she noticed the pack of wolves approaching her. There were six of them but the alpha was the biggest of them all, its features were all too familiar to her.

"Tyler?..." she muttered, as the wolves surrounded her and the alpha lunged in attack.

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><p>Klaus looked up at the sky and knew the daylight had disappeared. He thought it was strange since he seemed to have only been gone for a few minutes, but the search for the mysterious animal was leading him nowhere. He decided it was time to go back, he didn't want Caroline to start worrying over nothing. The path back to their shelter had become slippery with all the rain, luckily the storm seemed to have passed. He carefully stepped along the more solid parts of it to avoid falling. His ears picked up what he thought was his name and he stopped, listening carefully. It happened a second time, sounding almost like a whisper, he could have sworn he could make out his name. At first he thought it might have been Caroline, calling for him to return, but the voice was too deep and harsh to be hers.<p>

He continued walking and suddenly a gust of wind rushed past him, he turned around to spot the shadow figure he had seen the first day they had arrived at the island. A part of him wanted to continue on his way to Caroline but the curiosity of finding out who this person was pushed him to pursue it. He only took a few steps when he heard Caroline's screams in the distance. Klaus couldn't seem to run fast enough, trekking through the forest in the direction of her voice. He found her on the floor but couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong. Her clothes were torn and there was blood everywhere, he noticed it was seeping through the lacerations on her skin, deep scratches and bite marks ran all along her arms and legs. Her veins were becoming visible under her skin and purple bruises had formed around her neck and shoulders.

She kept screaming in agony, her body convulsing in pain. It was as if she was completely unaware of Klaus' presence.

"Caroline! Listen to me!" He said, moving her face to look into her eyes, thick blood running down her nose. "Focus on me, sweetheart... right here..."

"Klaus..." She said, her eyes widening in surprise.

Her attackers were now long gone but her body was visibly hurt and beaten. Tears ran down her face as she struggled to talk.

"I'm dying..." She muttered, her voice sounding lifeless.

Klaus dug his fangs into his arm and brought it up to her mouth asking her to feed off his blood. He still had no idea how she could've gotten all those werewolf bites but they were sucking the life out of her at an alarming rate. After she had drank enough of his blood, he carried her in his arms, taking her back to their place under the tree.

He laid her down on the floor, where she quickly fell asleep. He stayed awake, watching as her wounds began to heal and blaming himself for leaving her alone. Her beautiful radiant skin slowly returned to its normal state. He ran his hand through her hair and caressed her face, doing his best to clean the blood that had dripped from her nose. It was surprising how much he truly cared for this girl and he had no idea how much he really loved her until now, when she had been at the precipice of death.

_To be continued..._

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><p><em><strong><strong>_**Thank you so much for sticking with this story, I promise it will get better.**

**Your reviews make me smile, I appreciate all the nice comments, you guys are too kind :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am FREAKING OUT over that one still from 3x20! Klaus in white asking for a dance, I can't even... these characters make me feel like a middle-schooler, and trust me I'm far from it. Ok, I'm done fangirling! Now, I'd like to address a few things before moving on to the new chapter:**

**1. I noticed a couple comments about the shadow figure and how it's reminiscent of Lost. I've actually never seen the show but I heard people were pissed/disappointed with the ending? Hope that's not the case with this fic! LOL :P**

**2. One reviewer pointed out that it could be argued that Caroline is acting a bit OOC. I have to agree with this, it's so difficult for me to write these characters and keep them 100% true. At this point in TVD, Klaus seems to have no chance at gaining her affection and it freaking kills me! So that being said, just a fair warning: Caroline will probably come across more OOC as the story progresses in order for it to work. I apologize in advance but otherwise this story would turn into a 30-chapter fic with Klaus getting rejected over and over again haha.**

**3. You'll noticed I tweaked the mythology a bit in this chapter, it's all for the sake of storyline!**

**Ok, that is all! Happy readings, everyone! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Primal Fear<strong>

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><p>The sky was no longer dark and the sun had wiped away the gloominess of the previous day. Caroline rolled over on the dried up leaves of the forest floor, still covered by the giant roots of the tree that had been providing them protection from the elements. She turned to her side, noticing Klaus was still asleep. Her hands delicately traced areas of her skin that had been open and bleeding after the attack. Very faint marks remained in their place but she knew they'd be completely gone by the time the night fell. The bottom of her shirt looked like shredded tissue paper, she tore off the dangling pieces until she ended up with only half a shirt. She figured walking around showing her midriff was better than just walking around in her bra. The jeans had been badly damaged too, torn almost entirely in one leg. After minutes of debating, she ripped them up some more until they were just a pair of shorts. She figured they would be more comfortable this way anyway and hoped she wouldn't regret it if it got too cold.<p>

"How are you feeling?" His raspy voice broke the stillness. She turned to see Klaus, still regaining full consciousness.

"Better but still a bit shaken by it all." Her reply was warm and she gave him a smile knowing that if it hadn't been for him, she would be dead.

Klaus sat upright, his eyes offended by the light outside. He looked over at Caroline and noticed she had been busy redesigning her outfit. As if having her in close proximity wasn't tempting enough, now she was dressed in a way that made her even more tantalizing. Caroline noticed him ogling her but instead of complaining and calling him out on it, she let it slide. She figured it was a way of thanking him for coming to the rescue, yet again.

"Aren't you going to be cold in that?" He asked, bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

"I guess it's a chance I'll have to take." She paused for a second. "Hey, don't you know how to make a fire, anyway?" Her head turning to give him an interrogative look before continuing, "I mean, you didn't have electricity in your time, right?" She looked at him for a minute before giving him a flirty smirk and slowly breaking into a laugh. "It was just a suggestion..." She shrugged.

"Yes, sweetheart, I'll build you a fire if you get too cold." He replied melodiously.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, he always looked at her with such curiosity, like she was some sort of enigma. His eyes moved with ease, registering every feature of her face. Her long eyelashes produced ripples of allure with every blink she took and her slightly parted pink lips looked freshly rejuvenated and succulent. Caroline smiled shyly and looked away, breaking eye contact with him. He felt a little guilty for making her feel uncomfortable but it was impossible for him not to take notice of her beauty.

Caroline looked down at her stomach, placing a hand over it and crinkling her eyebrows, small creases forming on her forehead. Klaus found her actions a bit unsettling and gave her a worried look. She noticed his reaction and laughed before he even said a word.

"Don't look at me that way, it's not what you think." She said, between giggles. Klaus was even more confused now than before.

"What's the matter then?" He asked.

"I don't feel hungry anymore." She replied with a smile.

"Well that makes one of us. I'm starving." He admitted sheepishly.

Caroline gave him an annoyed look for not picking up on the deeper meaning of her words, as if her relieved hunger was normal.

"What?" He asked, fazed by her expression.

"It was you," she began, "you fed me your blood last night," she crawled over to him and sat by his side. "And now that I mention it, I never thanked you for it. I owe you." She said, calmly.

Klaus shook his head. "No, you don't owe me anything. I could save your life countless of times and that still wouldn't make up for all the heartache I've cause you and your loved ones." He replied with remorse. "But I guess this place will make sure I pay for that, huh?" His eyes searched around the forest.

Caroline placed her hand over his, grabbing it and bringing it up to her neck, she tilted her head to one side, allowing him better access. Klaus watched her, not knowing what she was getting at.

"Do you feel my pulse?" She asked. "Our bodies are no different than a human's, our hearts are still beating, there's blood pumping through our veins, which is why we can feel them drying up when we no longer feed." She paused for a second. "We only need a little bit of blood to produce more, right? And there's obviously still some left in each of us. Why can't we just feed a little off each other in order to rebuild our own blood flow?" She asked.

Klaus listened carefully to every word she was saying not entirely convinced it made sense.

"Last night, your blood not only healed my wounds and cured me from the werewolf venom, it also calmed my hunger. There must be freshly renewed blood going through my system at the moment." There was a long pause as they both realized what her reasoning implied. Yet, there was no guarantee that it was actually true or that it would work. He shook his head, refusing to do what she had in mind.

"I won't put you in that kind of danger, love. We don't even know if a bite from me will work the same as a bite from any other hybrid. Nor do we know if there's any truth to this new blood theory of yours." He countered.

"Well how do you explain my lack of hunger then? Plus, if you don't feed then you're going to end up desiccating and then..." she trailed off. Klaus waited for her to carry on. "And what am I supposed to do if that happens? I obviously can't handle this place on my own." She confessed.

He exhaled, frustrated, not knowing what to do. If he hurt her in any way, he'd never be able to forgive himself. Dying in this place would be more bearable than watching her suffer. Caroline walked from underneath the tree and took a seat on a large boulder, the moss covering it was still moist as she felt the water seep in through part of her shorts. A foreboding silence filled the air, not a single bird was chirping, it was almost like they were the only _living _creatures around. Time passed, with neither of them saying a word. She was getting tired of waiting for him to make a decision, they were losing time and he was growing weaker the longer he went without feeding.

"We're going to do this." She said, standing up and walking back to him.

"No, we're not." He replied with defiance.

"It's not up for debate," she said with a perfectly tranquil tone in her voice, leaning in closer to him, her face only inches from his, "if you really feel what you say you do, then do it for me." She concluded with a pleading voice and a face that would put a sad puppy to shame.

Klaus looked at her, narrowing his eyes, knowing that she was putting him between a rock and hard place. She had a way of getting to him and they both knew she had him wrapped around her finger. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was straight up coercing him.

"Well you turned out to be quite the little extortionist," he replied, unhappy by her decision, yet impressed that she'd have the audacity to convince him in such a way.

She grinned, pleased with herself. "Don't be mad, _love._" She teased, and he couldn't help smiling.

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><p>"I'm ready." Caroline said, closing her eyes and angling her head.<p>

"If I'm going to do this, it's probably better if I don't do it on your neck." He replied, scooting closer to her.

"Ok..." She handed him her arm, as he looked at her blankly. "What? You prefer a leg?" She joked.

Klaus shook his head, he couldn't believe she thought there was anything remotely funny about what he was about to do.

"I'll feed only to calm my thirst, it shouldn't take longer than a couple minutes." He breathed out, bringing her wrist up to his lips. "Here goes..."

Her skin had a very distinct sweet smell, like a honeysuckle infused wine, the made his mouth water with every inhale. He could hear the blood running through her veins, like the streams from the spot they'd been swimming in days prior. He looked at her as she bit down on her lip in anticipation. He felt the veins forming below his eyes and his fangs protruding from his gums, breathing her scent in one last time, he plunged his teeth into her wrist and began consuming the warm liquid. Caroline opened her mouth, letting out a low painful cry that soon turned into interrupted breaths. The satisfaction was almost immediate as her blood touched his tongue. He continued nipping at her skin, swallowing to quench his thirst. His eyes shot up, catching a glimpse of Caroline's face. She was staring at him with her eyes half closed and her mouth slightly open. The sight of her was intoxicating but he was able to control himself and release the grasp on her wrist. He wiped the excess blood with his finger and licked the rest off his lips.

"Here, drink." He instructed, lifting his wrist up to her mouth.

Caroline gave him a lustful look and without saying a word, burrowed her fangs into his neck, making little noises as if she was eating the most delicious of meals. Klaus placed his hands over her bare lower back, gently moving them up and down, getting a feel of her warm, supple skin. He felt his cock quivering in his pants, the mixture of her mouth on his neck and her pleasurable sounds got the best of him. She took one last sip of him and gently cleaned the residue off his neck with her tongue. He was motionless as she retracted from him and slowly backed away, cleaning her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." She looked away, ashamed by her actions.

"Don't be, love." Klaus replied, touching the fresh lesion on his neck. "I'm just glad you're okay." He smiled and then looked up overhead, determining it was probably a couple hours past noon. "We have to keep moving."

She nodded, standing up and brushing pieces of grass and dirt off her clothes. He remained seated for a few minutes, calming himself down until there was no evidence of the growth that had occurred underneath his pants.

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><p>They walked for hours, trying to find something that would somehow guide them home. The sun was now behind them, descending with every hour that passed, they figured they were heading towards the east side of the island.<p>

"Where did those werewolves come from?" Klaus asked, holding his hand out to help her cross over an opening in the ground.

"I have no idea, just like I have no idea how they just vanished into thin air." She replied.

"What do you mean _vanish_?" He asked concerned.

"The werewolves were attacking me when you got there, don't you remember? It wasn't until I actually noticed you were there that they just... disappear." She sounded doubtful and for a moment she wondered if she'd just been confused as a result of all the venom.

"I didn't see anything."

"They were there. I'm not making this up." She said, in a defensive tone.

"Sweetheart, I'm not calling you a liar." He replied, both coming to a halt, "I'm just saying, that _I _didn't see them."

"What are you saying, that they were some sort of hallucination?" Caroline asked, shifting her eyes from side to side, trying to piece things together.

Suddenly something clicked and she looked at Klaus certain that her suspicions were correct, no matter how ludicrous they seemed.

"I recognized the alpha of the pack." She paused. "It was Tyler, or at least it looked just like him."

"Tyler?" He asked. "I don't understand."

Caroline began fidgeting, not knowing if what she was about to say would make any sense.

"Ever since that night he bit me, I've always been afraid of him doing it again." She replied. "I know it sounds stupid, but sometimes I can't help not feeling safe around him." She admitted. "What if this place is somehow using our fears against us?"

"Well, that's just wonderful. There's no possible way of knowing what will manifest itself, if that's the case, not entirely anyway. What if we have some deep rooted fear that we're not even aware of?" He huffed.

"What about that snake? We killed it and it didn't disappear into oblivion." She recalled.

"I don't think that was a product of either of us." Klaus responded, still a bit perplexed by the possibility of this new discovery.

They continued walking, the sky turning dark orange as the sun began making its descent. They figured out the island was not only creating things based on their fears but also had dangers of its own. Eventually the confusion created between what was real and what wasn't would drive them to their demise. Caroline had believed the wolves were real and therefore the attack had escalated, making it possible for them to hurt her. However, knowing the difference was key. The snake could have easily killed them if they had believed it to be a hallucination and not done anything to defend themselves.

They hiked up a steep hill until they reached higher ground. They had almost a complete 360 degree view of the ocean. The terrain in this part of the island had smaller trees, none of them large enough for them to seek shelter under their roots. Klaus spotted two giant boulders a few feet away from each other. He figured he could collect enough wood and brush to form a cover between them. Caroline remained close by his side as they scavenged for the necessary materials.

As she brought her foot up to jump over a puddle something large flew above them, covering them in darkness for a quick second. Klaus, looked up at the sky between the thinning trees, searching for what had caused it.

"You saw that too?" She asked.

"Yeah, it was really quick but I noticed it."

She looked up as well, wondering if it had been some kind of bird. She hadn't seen one since she'd arrived at the island, so far the only animals they'd come across had been the sea creatures in the tide pools and the snake in the swimming hole. They heard crickets and owls during the night but they'd never actually seen them. Whatever had cast the shadow didn't return and they finished building their shelter and settling in to sleep.

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><p>They had been asleep for most of the night, when Klaus got woken up by the rustling of leaves. At first he attributed it to the wind but then the sound was accompanied by the snapping and breaking of branches. It was as if someone was stepping on them, almost on purpose to cause a disturbance. He looked over at Caroline who was sleeping peacefully on her stomach, one of her legs resting over his. A quiet whisper caught his attention as he looked around in all directions. It was close to daybreak and the sky was becoming a bit more illuminated. Then he saw it again, the mysterious figure that had been taunting him since they'd arrived. It whispered his name once again along with other things he couldn't make out. Klaus was certain it wanted something from him.<p>

_To be continued..._

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><p><strong>Don't forget to drop me a line in the review section! :) Thank you all for the support you've shown for this fic. I'm so happy you guys are enjoying it and hopefully this chapter wasn't the exception!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**New update is here! I meant to upload this way earlier but got wrapped up typing up the following two chapters ;) I've got nothing more to say except, enjoy & happy readings! **

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Shadow Figure<strong>

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><p>Caroline raised her hands up in the air, stretching as far as she could. The piece of fabric she was wearing as a shirt rose up, exposing part of the white laced bra she wore underneath. The low-rise tiny shorts hugged her hips delicately, accentuating even more her hourglass figure. Klaus admired her from a distance, as he tried to determine which path they should continue on.<p>

She combed her hair with her fingers and bent over, putting it into a ponytail. Her legs were long and toned and had acquired a tan from being in the sun so long. Klaus swept his eyes over her calves, and moved on higher to her thighs, until they reached the perfectly glorious, rounded curves of heaven. Caroline had a way of awakening not only his soft vulnerable side but also the human part that wanted nothing more than to satiate his deepest desires.

He found it hard not to deviate his thoughts, especially when she put herself in such compromising positions. Caroline gave up on her hair, having nothing to tie it with, and straighten herself back up.

She looked over at Klaus who by now had gone back to examining the paths ahead of them. Her mind went back to the day before; all she could think about was how much she had enjoyed having her mouth around his neck. His pulse was pounding against her lips and she could feel the efforts he was making to keep his breathing steady. There was no denying they had both found the experiencing to be exhilarating. She felt herself bothered to some extent, just thinking about it; waves of heat traveling through her body.

There was something exciting about being in control and making the ruthless, virtually invincible hybrid nervous. She knew very well that he liked her and she'd noticed the way he looked at her sometimes. If he wasn't so much of a gentleman he would've already let the animal take over and ripped off her clothes. She'd never let him know but that was something that had won her favor. That, and the fact that he seemed so determined to protect her and keep her safe. Caroline had never felt so taken care of before.

"I think we should keep heading that way," he pointed, coming to a standstill next to her, "maybe there's something in that mountain range."

Caroline looked at him, smiling like she was keeping a secret from him. Her eyes taking in his entire form.

"What?" He asked, looking down at his shirt and then his pants.

"Nothing." She replied, walking past him and grazing his arm with her hand. "Let's go..."

He followed, noticing that her hips seemed to sway with a little extra flare than usual. Caroline smiled to herself, completely aware of what she was doing to him.

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><p>"My legs are killing me. I need a time out." Caroline said, before reaching a narrow stream.<p>

She took a seat on the flatter side of a jagged rock and wiped the tiny beads of sweat off her forehead with her hand.

Klaus went over to the stream and washed his hands, cupping them to splash some on his face. Caroline joined him, squatting down in front of the running water and cleansing herself.

"I saw it again, right before dawn." Klaus said in a low husky voice, his hands dipping into the shallow stream that ran downhill.

Caroline looked at him worried as she slowly continued to splash water on her arms and legs.

"You're talking about that shadow figure running around in the forest..." She answered, wetting her hair with her fingers.

Klaus nodded and continued washing himself off, he removed his t-shirt and dipped it in the stream before squeezing the water out and putting it back on.

"It knows who I am." He continued and Caroline stopped what she was doing to give him her full attention.

"What do you mean it knows?"

"It said my name. At first I thought it had just been my mind playing tricks on me but last night, it happened again. This time I heard it clearly." He explained.

"I don't like the sound of that." She stated. "I've seen way too many horror movies to know that when something like that calls your name, it can't lead to anything good."

Klaus smirked, her reasoning was somehow always humorous. Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

"I feel like it wants something from me." He said.

Her look softened as she exhaled a sigh. "Well, if you think I'm gonna let you go chasing some mysterious thing all on your own, you're sadly mistaken." She replied.

Klaus looked at her disapprovingly but realized he also wasn't about to leave her alone again, not after what had happened with the wolves. But what was to say he wasn't putting her in more danger by bringing her along? The only advantage was that he'd be there by her side if anything were to happen.

The downtime only lasted a few minutes before they continued walking, Caroline spotted a cave up in a nearby mountain that looked perfect for them to spend the night. If they moved fast they'd definitely make it there before nightfall. Klaus guided them through the forest, clearing the way of branches and plants and keeping an eye out for any potential hazards on the ground.

"Stop!" He said abruptly.

Caroline came to a standstill and turned around to see what was wrong. Klaus remained motionless, looking to the right, his eyes moving all around in search of something.

"What is it?" She asked quietly.

"There," he said, pointing at a distinct area between the trees.

Caroline brought her face close to his and stared for a while but was unable to locate whatever he was seeing.

"I don't see anything." She murmured, barely opening her mouth to speak.

The leaves from the trees and the brush around made it hard to make out at first but Klaus could see that standing beside one of the large trees was the silhouette of a tall person. It was upright, watching them, without moving. He didn't get a chance to say anything else before it moved in a different direction. Klaus grabbed Caroline's hand, as they began running rapidly between the trees, pursuing the dark figure to an opening in the forest.

"Klaus, what's going on?" She asked, an obvious shakiness in her voice.

He let go of her hand and walked over to the center of the forest ground, she looked on with a frightened expression on her face, unable to figure out what was happening. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so scared, a feeling of helplessness overtook her as she watched Klaus interact with something she couldn't see. Her eyes searched and searched but there was emptiness around them. She took a couple steps towards him, ready to convince him to continue on their way, when a brute force hurled her in the air, slamming her into a tree. She lost consciousness almost immediately, her body crashing down to the ground.

Klaus was in a state of oblivion, unaware that the girl he was supposed to be protecting, was now lying unconscious behind him. He was fixated on the cloaked figure towering in front of him and it was as if all notion of Caroline had disappeared from his mind.

"Niklaus, we finally meet again." He spoke in a low booming voice.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Klaus asked, no sign of fear in his voice.

"I am, whatever you want me to be. As to what I want..." He paused, "it's simple, really. You die, your soul remains here. The thing is, you've become a bit difficult to kill. " He replied, a twisted smile appearing on his face.

Klaus looked at him confused before blatantly defying him by laughing in his face.

"Well you're out of luck. I haven't had a soul in a thousand years." He replied, placing a hand over his chest.

The man tilted his head to the side in contempt. His features mostly hidden by the hood over his head.

"It always amuses me when your kind truly believes their souls have already been damned." He replied.

Klaus' demeanor changed and his eyes widened when he heard his words. A confused expression appeared on his face as he looked at the man, asking for further explanation without really speaking.

"Don't look so shocked. Your soul's in there somewhere." He said, pressing his finger against his chest before Klaus knocked it away.

Klaus took a swing at him but his fist never made contact. The man appeared again, this time further away from him. They continued this pattern until they had abandoned the opening in the forest.

"You're really pushing your luck with your insolence." He smirked, "Perhaps a more familiar face will help put you in your place." The figure proceeded to remove the cloak that covered his head. Klaus' expression changed when he realized the man he was now staring at was the person he most hated.

"Mikael..." He muttered as he felt his heart start beating at an accelerated pace.

"It looks like the hunt continues, boy." He said between gritted teeth.

Klaus closed his eyes and shook his head. "You're not real."

"If I'm not real, then how am I able to do this?" He shoved Klaus with force, causing him to almost lose his footing.

Before he could recover his balance, Mikael grabbed him and threw him to the ground with force. "Come on, get up and fight." He taunted, kicking him in the stomach just as he was about to stand up. Klaus took aim at him again but his clenched hand was cut short by Mikael's grasp and his face received a severe blow that sent him straight to the ground again. Blood spewed from the open gashes below his left eye and his lower lip. By now, he was convinced that Mikael had somehow ended up trapped in this realm after he killed him, his sole purpose now being to finish what he had started. The memory of Caroline had faded completely as he became immersed in this new reality and the brawl continued with Mikael always having the upper hand.

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><p>Caroline's eyes opened slowly, her vision was blurry and she struggled to focus it. Her whole body ached and she noticed there were a couple scrapes on her arms. She was disoriented, moving in tiny increments until she came to a seated position and rested her back on the tree behind her. She noticed it was close to dusk and the sky had acquired a dark, smoky appearance. After a few minutes, she remembered Klaus had been in trouble and quickly came to her feet. Concern crept up on her upon realizing she was completely alone but she armed herself with courage and continued searching. Her ears picked up his cries of agony in the distance. Without wasting any time, she started running, the wailing getting louder as she got closer.<p>

She spotted him, barely conscious, and suspended in the air by an unseen entity. There was a wooden stake lodged in his side and the front of his shirt was soaked in blood. His body was suddenly thrown across the air, until finally collided with the floor. Caroline yelled his name as she ran to him but he was unresponsive. She yanked the stake out of his side and held his face as she continued to talk to him and try to shake him out of his stupor.

"Klaus, I'm right here!" She shouted, turning his face toward her but all she received was a blank stare.

There was a sudden pull on her body, as she felt a force trying to separate her from him. She clung on to him desperately not giving up her efforts to save him.

"Focus on me! Come on! You can do this!" Caroline screamed, but her futile attempts didn't seem to be helping.

She was running out of things to say to bring him back, until one thing came to mind. Caroline knew, that if this didn't work, he would probably end up slipping away completely.

"Nik!" She exclaimed in despair. "Nik! Look at me!"

The force that was pulling her away began to diminish and Caroline noticed a slight change in Klaus' eyes. A delicate smile appeared on her face but then quickly disappear when she felt the pull on her body increase again.

"No! No! No! No! No!" She cried out in panic, holding on to Klaus as best as she could.

"Nik, come on! Focus damn it!"

She grabbed on to him and knowing her words weren't making a difference, immediately took a new approach. Caroline held on to his face, and without thinking it twice, pressed her lips over his, kissing him with urgency. Once again, the force around her body began to lessen and this time she didn't stop to acknowledge it. She continued kissing him until she felt a slight response. Klaus' lips began moving, gently reciprocating her actions and brushing up against her lips. Caroline opened her eyes and slowly broke apart from him. He blinked a few times before saying her name and smiling. She breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing this time he was really back.

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><p>They walked at a slow pace, Klaus kept grabbing on to his side as his left foot dragged behind and Caroline tried her best to help him up. They both knew they couldn't keep it up for much longer and they had no other choice but to stop and wait until the next day to continue. The night was cold, gushes of wind swayed the tress, causing hundreds of brown dry leaves to fall over their heads. Caroline shivered at the feel of the frigid air as they came to repose between three large trees.<p>

"How about that fire now?" Klaus asked in a fragile voice.

"You barely have any energy to carry on a conversation and you want to build a fire?" Caroline looked at him tenderly and noticed that some of the injuries on his face had already healed.

"I promised I'd do it if you got cold." He replied, smiling.

"You have blood all over you. Let me clean you up and then we can talk about making fire." She knelt down in front of him, grabbing a hold of the hem of his shirt.

They stared at each other in silence as she brought it over his head. She turned it over, looking for dry areas, and used it to meticulously wipe the blood off his face and torso. The wound on his side that had been caused by the stake was closing slowly but she was sure it would heal by morning.

"I heard your voice," he said, as she continued to remove the blood stains, "You called me Nik..."

Caroline smiled and nodded. "I figured it has a lot of meaning to you but unfortunately it only worked for a second." She replied.

"It felt like I was dreaming. Mikael was ready to finish me off when I heard it and then I saw a glimmer of your face. It only lasted a little while before he continued his torture." He recalled, clearing his throat.

Caroline looked at him with a sad expression on her face. She had no idea it had been Mikael, although she wasn't entirely surprised. It just made her realized he must have hurt Klaus very deeply to cause that much terror to arise in him.

"I did notice him _changing_ when I heard your voice and even more when I caught a glimpse of your face." Caroline looked at him attentively as he continued, "It was almost as if, dark masses of energy were leaving his body. It's hard to explain but from I remember, they looked almost like phantoms." He furrowed his eyebrow trying to remember more details.

She finished cleaning him up and he made good on his promise to build her a fire. Caroline gathered pieces of wood and dried up debris and he had it burning in no time. Klaus told her everything he could recall from his experience with Mikael up until he woke up to her lips on his. Caroline smiled, embarrassed, and he decided not to push the subject further.

"Souls." She said with a smile on her face. "This means there is a place for us after all, when we cease to exist, right?" She looked at him hopeful.

"There is a place for someone like you, I'm sure. But I really doubt I'm worthy of salvation." He answered, poking the fire with a stick.

"I wouldn't give up yet." She paused, not knowing what she was getting at. "After we get out of here, you'll have thousands of more years to possibly make amends."

Klaus appreciated her kind words but he wasn't entirely sure that everything he had done would ever be entirely rectified.

"We should get some sleep." He replied.

As they lied on the cushioned, leafy surface of the forest floor, Caroline had two more questions on her mind.

"Do you think that shadow we saw flying over our heads yesterday, is related to what you saw leaving Mikael's body? Do you think maybe they're the damned souls of everyone who's ever died here?" She asked.

Klaus thought long and hard before answering.

"I think it's quite possible." He replied. "And if these assumptions are correct, then something tells me it's not going to be easy to get out of here."

Caroline turned to her side and looked at him, the fire still crackling.

"I guess we'll have to try even harder to keep ourselves bound to reality then." She replied, before closing her eyes.

They drifted off to sleep with the fire burning by their side, providing them with heat for the better part of the night.

_To be continued..._

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><p><strong>This was definitely a hard chapter for me to write and I gotta admit it's not the best, mainly because I suck at writing fight sequences. I hope to make it up to you guys in the following chapter ;) *wink wink, nudge nudge* LOL<strong>

**Don't forget to review! Thank you! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm truly amazed by the good response I've received so far, you guys are so wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, it's greatly appreciated and also very motivating ;) Having said that, I hope you guys like this chapter. I had fun writing it! As always, enjoy & happy readings! **

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: A Light at the End of the Tunnel<strong>

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><p>All that was left of the fire was a pile of ashes and blackened pieces of wood. The wind was still blowing and the air was still cold. It was an overcast day, puffy gray clouds covered the sky in its entirety. Caroline walked around, keeping an eye on the horizon, the higher elevation gave her a good view of the ocean. The waves crashed angrily into the shore around them, and in the distance a flash of lightning lit up the sky, signaling the impending storm heading their way. Klaus woke up to the sound of roaring thunder, standing up with ease, his leg no longer in pain. He ran a hand over his side and lifted his shirt, noticing that the gaping hole had completely closed. Caroline saw that he was up and moving but waited for him to join her.<p>

"I think we should continue moving towards that cave." She signaled with a head movement. "Hopefully we can make it there before the rain comes down."

Klaus agreed with her and they resumed the journey that had been cut short by the events of the previous day.

"I really appreciate everything you did to bring me back." Klaus said, walking beside her. "You could've easily just let me die, if you wanted to."

Caroline looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Well I'm glad I didn't, otherwise I might have ended up freezing to death last night without that fire." She smirked.

The wind felt even colder the higher they climbed up the mountain and Caroline tried her best to cover herself by shielding her stomach with her arms. Klaus watched her make every effort to keep warm and started to remove his shirt.

"No, please." Caroline shook her head, placing her hand against his chest. "I'm fine, really. If you give me your shirt, then you're going to be the one cold."

After a few minutes of arguing, she convinced him that she would be ok and they continued their hike to the cave. It wasn't long before tiny raindrops began falling on their heads.

"Where is this place? It looked a lot closer from where we were." She complained, looking up at the menacing dark clouds.

"It shouldn't be much further, after we pass that woodland area up ahead." He answered, pointing to the thick cluster of trees about half a mile away.

She stopped and looked at him, worried. "Do we have to go through there?"

"If we take any other way, it's going to take even longer." He replied. Caroline frowned and he leaned his head to one side, gently touching her chin, "It'll be fine."

A few more drops fell over them, until the rain just started pouring down from one second to the next. It was like bucketfuls of water were being spilled on them. Caroline wiped the hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ears. By the time they reached the forested area, they were both drenched from head to toe; their clothes became heavy, sticking to their bodies like latex.

The foliage around them was so thick that they could hear the rain falling overhead but they were entirely covered from it. Caroline shook her head around, and squeezed her hair with her hands to get rid of excess water. There was a sinister feel to the forest that made her feel uneasy but she knew that expressing any kind of fear could result in something catastrophic. Her feet were starting to hurt from all the walking but she toughened up and kept going. Being a vampire, yet still experiencing human sensations, was a weird feeling. She would've never been bothered by rain, the cold, or any kind of physical activity if she were back in Mystic Falls. Now, she was wet, exhausted, and trying hard to keep her teeth from chattering. Her feet were starting to feel like jello with every step she took and she inevitably lost her footing, twisting her ankle in the process.

"Are you okay?" Klaus, held on to her, placing his arm around her waist. "I think we need to take a break." He said, bending down to check her foot.

"It's not a big deal just a small sprain, I'll be good as new in no time." She said, the chattering of her teeth winning the battle over her.

Klaus looked at her, wanting to do anything to keep her warm. He stared at her, as if asking for permission to wrap his arms around her. His eyes trailed down to her shirt and Caroline looked away shyly, knowing that her body was showing signs of being cold, the evidence was clearly visible under the thin fabric of her shirt and bra. He returned his gaze to her face and she just stood there, looking at him as she continued to tremble. Klaus swallowed hard as he slowly closed the gap between them. He pulled her body close to his and she rested her head against his chest, allowing him to provide her with body heat. He lightly stroked her back with both hands and they remained that way for a while, until Caroline was no longer shaking.

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><p>When they finally reached the other end of the forest, Klaus pointed up to the cave, only a few feet away. Caroline smiled wide, happy to have made it out of there without a hitch. The rain was still falling down with force but they climbed up the rocks at a quick pace until they reached the entrance. It was dark and freezing but gave them the protection they needed.<p>

"I'm going to see if I can find any pieces of wood dry enough to start a fire." He informed her as he walked outside, delving through the brush around the cave that seemed to have been shielded from the water.

He came back with a pile of twigs and small branches, hoping that would be enough to keep the fire burning for a couple hours. Caroline watched him as he tried to produce the first spark to ignite it. This time proved to be more difficult that the first, but after a few tries, he eventually got it started. She clapped her hands together in excitement as she grinned. The cave was no longer dark, as the dancing flames gave off enough light for them to see the interior. Caroline sat down and rubbed her hands together over it, taking in the heat. They removed their shoes, placing them by the fire. She looked down at her clothes and then tried to run her fingers through her tangled hair. Klaus looked at her attentively, her hair was dripping, the droplets of water ran down from her neck and collarbone, depositing themselves between her breasts. She complained about what a mess she was and he smiled, completely captivated by her.

"What?" She asked, noticing he hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

"You're stunning." He replied, casting a longing gaze over her face.

Caroline opened her mouth to comment but instead she only sighed, flattered by the compliment. Having spent the past few days with him and both having been there for each other during dire situations, had sparked something in her. It was difficult to pinpoint the precise moment but she knew there was something there. The feelings had slowly crept up on her, or maybe they had been there all along and she had just let them take over. Whatever it was, she felt it swirling around inside her chest. But the guilt was also eating her up inside, she couldn't forget about her friends back home and the boy that had already confessed to loving her. They were all probably worried and waiting for her return, unaware of how close she had gotten to Klaus already. How could she allow herself to be overcome by what she was feeling without being disloyal? She could only imagine the reaction of everyone back in Mystic Falls.

"And you're obviously a very good liar." She mumbled.

He rolled his eyes, she had a way of always playing down his compliments.

"Why do you keep trying to convince yourself that there's absolutely nothing between us?" His question caused her to look down at the ground. He lowered his head, searching for her eyes. "You do it all the time, Caroline. And I can tell you truly want to believe it's true."

She snapped her head back up and came to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest and pacing back and forth as she watched the rain outside.

"And why do you keep trying to pretend like we can actually have something?" The harshness in her voice was obvious.

Klaus stood up as well but remained in his place. He watched as she leaned against the entrance of the cave, her back to him.

"You know I have someone waiting for me back home. I thought that much was clear." She said.

"And why do _you_ keep pretending that you're in love with him?" He countered.

Caroline turned around, furious, an offended look on her face.

"What? Who do you think you are to question my feelings for anyone?" She spat back, glaring at him.

Klaus was starting to get a little irritated by her denial. He took a few steps towards her until he had invaded her personal space. He looked at her, wanting nothing more than to shut her pretty little mouth with his.

"So this is how it's going to be then? You're just going to keep lying to yourself?" He said under his breath, placing his hands on either side of her, trapping her between him and the wall.

Caroline leaned against the cave, lifting her head up high and at the same time creating more space between them.

"Of course, you realize that things don't go your way so you stop playing nice. Right?" She narrowed her eyes. "What are you going to do? Take me by force? You think that's going to make me want to be with you?" She muttered.

"I don't need to force you to do anything, love." He replied, "I just need to make you realize that you're making a mistake by pushing me away."

They stared at each other in silence, both their eyes wandering over each other's face.

Caroline shook her head. "Don't do it," she implored, as he leaned in closer.

"Why not?" He asked softly, mere inches from her lips.

"Please..." Her plead was a dying whisper.

Caroline felt her head spinning, his closeness was causing an internal tug-of-war of rights and wrongs. She knew that if he came any closer, there would be no going back. Her body's reaction was betraying her reasoning and she knew she had to find a way to get herself out of the mess she was in. Before Klaus could make contact with her, she slipped right under his arm, ready to run out of there. He quickly caught a hold of her and spun her around, causing her body to collide with his. Their mouths crashed into each other and she felt her whole body tingle as his lips devoured hers with urgency. She broke the kiss away but she didn't back away, their lips still hovering in close proximity, and she looked at him, her eyes didn't lie, she wanted this just as badly.

She grabbed on to his hair and pulled his lips down to hers once again, he grunted when her mouth latched on to his, and her body rubbed up against him. A powerful sense of satisfaction took over both of them as they hungrily consumed each other. She slipped her hands underneath his shirt, her nails gently clawing at his muscular back. Klaus' hands glided down hers, until they reached the curves of her rear, and he caressed it gently before giving it a firm squeeze. Her legs left the ground and rose to meet his hips as he slammed her against the cave wall with force, wedging her in between. His cock swelled in excitement and Caroline felt his hardness pressed up against her center. Moans escaped her throat as he moved against her, the friction hitting her in just the right spot. She lifted up his shirt, peeling it off his body and reluctantly untangled her legs from his hips as he pulled down on her wet shorts. Their breathing was rough as they each continued to undress each other.

Klaus took in the sight of her nude figure, the burning fire casted shadows over her entire body and there was no doubt in his mind that she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. He took her in his arms, biting at her lips as he brought her down to rest on the clothes lying on the floor. His hands slid along the sides of her inner thighs as he parted them carefully, positioning himself between them. Caroline placed her hands on his hips and drew him towards her, the tip of his cock coming in contact with her opening. He penetrated her entirely, lustful little whimpers left her mouth with every exhale, as Klaus felt absolutely enthralled by the experience. He moved in and out within her tight walls, and waves of pleasure undulated through their bodies with every movement. He pushed into her slowly at first and then with more force as his speed intensified. Caroline begged for more, lifting up her legs higher in the air. She had never felt gratification like this before and Klaus continued ramming into her until she inevitably burst, her continued whimpers only encouraged him more.

She turned on her side, allowing him to enter her from behind. Klaus ran his hands along the curves of her body, slowly traveling from her calves to her hips, and gliding along her side, until he stopped to knead the flesh of her plump breasts, gently pinching her already hard nipples between his fingers. She moved her hips in a back and forth motion, meeting him at every thrust, his stiff cock hitting the site of release every time, until she exploded in ecstasy for the second time. Her body felt warm and a feeling of elation took over as the hot liquid ran down her walls. She smiled, enjoying every last bit of the feeling and then she turned to Klaus, shifting positions in one quick motion.

She straddled him, as he guided his length into her and she could just tell by his expression that he was ready to finish at any moment. He bucked his hips as she moved in a circular motion and she felt his heart beating rapidly when she placed her hands on his chest. Klaus lifted himself up, coming almost to a seated position, and took one of her nipples into his mouth, the stubble on his chin scraped over her delicate skin, causing goosebumps to form all over her body. He grabbed on to her ass and continued pushing himself into her until he could no longer hold it in. A surge of pleasure took over him as he emptied himself inside of her. She held on to his hair as he continued to place kisses over her chest and neck.

After they had both absorbed all feelings of complacency, they came to rest next to each other. Caroline positioned her head on his chest and they both remained naked by the fire, there was no sense in denying anything now. She hadn't openly admitted to having feelings for him but she had definitely showed him.

"Can't say I'm looking forward to going back home as much, now." Caroline spoke softly against his skin, causing Klaus to chuckle under his breath.

"There's no point in worrying about them now, love. When the time comes, you'll be ready to stand your ground." He replied.

"I hope so." She answered quietly.

Klaus kissed the top of her head and took in a deep breath, exhaling before hoisting himself up on his elbows. She lifted her head, looking outside.

"What is it?" She asked before noticing a shimmer in the distance.

There was a light shining off of one of the mountain tops. It almost looked like someone was reflecting the sun with a mirror, except it was still pouring outside and the night couldn't possibly provide someone with enough light to do that. The shimmering light continued going on and off, almost like morse code.

"I think that might be what we're looking for..." Klaus stated.

They both looked at each other thoughtfully, taking in the fact that it was possible they were now that much closer to returning home.

_To be continued..._

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Please, do share! <strong>

**Oh, and just a little side note: Next update will be on Monday and every day after that until I wrap it up on Thursday (so excited for the new episode!)**_  
><em>


	7. Chapter 7

**There's not much to say about this chapter except, it sounded so much better in my head o_O **

**Also, I keep forgetting that not everyone lives in the same time zone so it's probably confusing when I say I'll update on a certain day and it's completely different for some of you. I live in the US (West Coast) so... yeah... Anyway, happy readings everyone! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Ghost from the Past<strong>

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><p>The morning brought warmth and sunshine to the island. The clouds were moving away towards the horizon, leaving blue, clear skies behind. Caroline sat at the entrance of the cave, staring off into the distance. The shimmering light from the night before was now gone but they could pinpoint exactly the location it had come from. Klaus came up from behind, wrapping one arm around her and placing his chin on her shoulder. If he had been charming and sweet before, after what had transpired between them, he was now even more delicate and caring with her. His lips grazed her collarbone and his breath caused shivers to run down her neck.<p>

"What's on your mind, love?" He asked, a gentle tone to his voice.

Caroline released a profound exhale and turned her head in his direction.

"Have you ever been in love?" Her eyebrows furrowed questioningly.

Klaus raised his eyebrows and lifted his head off her shoulder. He came to his feet and looked down at Caroline smiling, contemplating her face.

"I'm guessing I wasn't obvious enough last night." He replied, tilting his head, beaming.

A warm feeling surfaced in the pit of her stomach and spread to every extremity of her body, as she realized what he meant. She could barely contain her excitement at his words and at the same time she felt horrible for not knowing how to respond to it. Things had developed so quickly between them that she wasn't even sure exactly what she was feeling. She smiled, biting down on her lip nervously.

"I meant before. You've lived for so long, I'm sure you've had your share of love experiences." She replied.

"To be perfectly honest, you're the first girl to catch my eye in centuries, Caroline. I've never met anyone quite like you."

She felt satisfied with his response but that still didn't answer the questions in her own heart. The feelings were present but the array of emotions only added to her confusion.

"I don't know what I feel." She blurted out, looking up at him sheepishly.

The corner of his mouth lifted up into a half-smile and his eyes gave her a comforting look.

"You feel like your loyalties are being tested. Sounds to me like it's perfectly normal to feel confused." He replied.

Klaus was right. Caroline felt like she had ruined the bond of trust she had with her friends and at the same time had betrayed Tyler. But aside from all that she didn't feel like she had done anything wrong and perhaps that's what scared her the most. There were no regrets on her part, she had listened to her heart and maybe that meant the feelings she had were stronger than she'd anticipated.

He extended his hand and helped her come to her feet. She patted down her shorts, and brushed the dirt off her legs. Their shoes were still a bit moist but the heat from the fire had helped dry them off for the most part.

"How long do you think it will take us to reach the summit?"

Klaus stared off into the distance, trying to calculate the length of their journey. The mountain looked closer than it was but he was sure it wouldn't take longer than a two days to get there. They would probably have to camp somewhere on the way but what really worried him was running into any kind of problems that would deter their progress.

"A couple days," he answered, "I think it would be a good idea to replenish our strength before embarking on yet another long trek."

Caroline smirked at the thought of them feeding off each other again. She bunched up her hair together and swept it to the side, clearing her neck for him. Klaus slowly opened his mouth and brought his lips to it, they lingered there for a while and she closed her eyes waiting for him to dig in. She opened them back up when she noticed he was hesitating.

"Is something wrong?" Caroline whispered.

"I have a better idea." He replied, staring at her, his eyes glazed over with want.

He removed his shirt and laid it out on the floor, sitting her on top of it and gently bringing her back to rest on the ground. Her breathing became abnormal as she watched him unbutton her shorts and slowly pull them down her legs along with her panties. A tiny gasp escaped her throat as his tongue glided over her inner thighs, shuddering when he got closer to her core. Caroline closed her eyes, her moaning becoming incessant as she felt his warm tongue touch her opening. He hummed into her skin, producing little vibrations that filled her body with pleasure. His tongue slid up and down her folds and he nipped at her little nub urgently, sending wave after wave of stimulation until she reached the breaking point. He indulged himself in her taste, causing her body to break into a spasm of bliss; the steamy white liquid leaving her body, producing fireworks behind her eyelids.

She was breathing hard, still overwhelmed by the sensation, when she felt Klaus' fangs plunge into her inner thigh, and he began gorging himself in her sweet fluid. It was as if she had gotten hit by a double dose of pleasure. Filled with exultation, she grabbed a hold of his arm and sank her fangs into his wrist. They fed off each other simultaneously until they had fully satisfied themselves. She pulled her shorts back on and remained calm on the cave floor with Klaus next to her. Her body hadn't fully cooled down completely when something strange and unexpected happened.

At first Caroline thought her orgasm still had her buzzing but everything around her began spinning, faster and faster every time. Klaus held on to her as he too began to experience the same thing. Everything around them was gyrating out of control and a bright blinding light wrapped them in whiteness. Their bodies felt like they were free falling and the sudden impact with the ground caused a loud ringing in their ears.

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><p>They stood up, baffled by the occurrence before realizing where they were. The sound of crashing waves caught their attention, the water hit the shore calmly before receding back into the ocean. They looked all around them, the cliffs were far down the shore and the beach was beautiful laid out in front of them. They were back where they had started.<p>

"What just happened?" Caroline's eyes widened in panic.

Klaus huffed in despair, knowing they had just lost days worth of travel.

"I knew getting out of here was going to be far from easy!" He grunted.

Caroline was still in shock, not wanting to believe that all their progress had gone down the drain. She fell to her knees in front of the ocean, letting the cold foamy waves reach her.

"We're never getting out of here..." She said, in the verge of tears.

Klaus noticed the state she was in and did his best to comfort her, "We can't give up now, we know where to go. It's going to take a little longer, love, but we'll get there." He spoke, holding her in his arms.

Without wasting time, they continued on their way to the mountain peak, cutting through the clearer parts of the forest and avoiding the areas where they knew danger had lurked before. They slept only long enough to boost their energy and they fed to replenish their strength every time they felt like they were fatigued.

The sun rose and the sun set, continuously over the course of their journey, one day turned into four and four into six, until they had lost track of how many days they'd been on the island. Klaus insisted that it had been three weeks, whereas Caroline was sure it had been four. Either way, they were now once again closer to the spot where the light had shined.

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><p>"There it is." Klaus said, looking up at the summit.<p>

The low clouds covered the peak but they were certain this was the spot. They began to climb at a steady pace, the elevation making their ears pop. Once they had reached the halfway point, they stopped to rest. Darkness was falling around them and they knew they wouldn't make it to the top before nightfall. As they sat, catching their breath, Caroline noticed the clouds moving at a rapid pace in the sky, she squinted, looking closer, discovering they were actually thin dark sheets of matter floating in the atmosphere. Klaus noticed them too and he immediately knew this was what he had seen that day in the forest during his encounter with Mikael.

They scrambled around trying to look for a place to hide, a shelter of some sort, but there was nothing in the vicinity. The phantom figures began descending, getting closer to the ground and a powerful gust of wind caused Caroline to lose her balance. Klaus held on to her tightly as they watched the dark matter swirl like a tornado, slowly making its descent. As it touched the ground, it began to take form. Caroline let out a sharp low gasp when she saw the figure's beautiful dark brown hair flowing in the wind. Big brown almond shaped eyes and sultry scarlet lips adorned her flawless olive skin. She was dressed in a long white laced dress that danced in the breeze with every move she made. Klaus was stunned, unable to move or speak.

"Why does she look like Elena?" Caroline asked.

"Hello Niklaus." The woman spoke in a sultry way.

Caroline looked at Klaus, a horrified and bewildered look on her face. The woman gave her a degrading look and walked over to him.

"Tatia?" He muttered.

Caroline raised her eyebrows, entirely confused by what was happening. Klaus had never mentioned her but she was obviously a doppleganger, that much was clear.

"I have no idea what's going on or who this Tatia girl is but you have to remember that things in this place aren't real." She said firmly.

Klaus looked at her, breaking free from his dumbfounded state.

"You can see her... how?"

Caroline stood in silence, not knowing how to respond. Nothing made sense, unless they were both somehow submerged in a dreamlike state, but that still didn't explain how she could see her if she knew nothing of her.

"I don't know, but we can't trust her!" She exclaimed.

The way the woman looked at him and the effect she had on Klaus, ignited Caroline's fury. It was her, she was the one he had once been in love with, she was sure of it. She suddenly felt short of breath and her chest felt like it was going to be crushed by the pressure building up inside her.

Tatia placed her hand on Klaus' face, caressing his jawline. "There's a reason why you're here," she paused glancing at Caroline for a split second, "you're meant to be with me."

"Don't listen to her. She's trying to lure you in." Caroline said sternly.

"You're lying." Klaus replied, lifting his head high, facing her with courage.

"It was always you, Niklaus. I've always loved you and you loved me just as much. We can be together now, forever." She purred, against his ear.

Klaus looked over at Caroline and slowly mouthed the word "go", she shook her head in disagreement. If she was going to run, it was going to be with him.

"You're going to have to try harder than that. I'm not falling for any of your tricks." He spat out, anger evident in his voice.

Caroline locked her arm around his and stood by his side, staring at the woman with disdain.

"Why are you making this so difficult?" She grumbled, her voice changing to a much deeper tone.

A rippled effect distorted her beautiful face almost like heat waves bouncing off hot pavement.

"Look at her, do you really think she loves you?" She shook her head, "As soon as she returns home, all memory of what you two shared here will be gone and she'll run back to the arms of another."

Klaus looked at Caroline, who only shook her head in discord.

"She won't remember a thing. Why would you want to go back to that?"

"That's enough!" Caroline shouted infuriated.

"I wasn't talking to you." She said between gritted teeth, as a powerful force pushed Caroline over the edge of the cliff, her hands clutching on to a rock as her feet swayed back and forth into a precipice that seemed infinite.

Klaus ran to her, grabbing a hold of her arms and pulling her back to safety. At that moment the ground below their feet began shaking, and the girl in front of them dispersed into thousands of individual dark masses that began floating around, creating enough wind to knock them to the ground. Caroline held on to Klaus' hand, dragging herself over the rocky surface. The shimmering light at the top of the mountain began shining again and something inside her told her they'd be safe once they reached it.

"We have to get to the top!" She yelled, the wind distorting her voice.

"You need to get out of here, Caroline! It's the only way!" He responded at the top of his lungs.

She kept shaking her head, unwilling to leave him behind. She crawled her way closer to him and he placed his mouth over her ear.

"They want me, love, not you. Get out of here!"

"We can get there, we can use our speed!" She replied.

"We won't make it, we'll run out of energy before we reach the top. If I stay behind, you can get there safely." He remained adamant.

"I won't leave you. I'd rather die trying to escape than go without you." She said, her eyes watering at the thought.

The gusts of wind were powerful and they knew that a drop down the mountain would be lethal for either of them. He nodded slightly and interlaced his fingers in her, giving her hand a tight squeeze.

"Now!" He shouted.

They both moved at lightning speed, climbing up the mountain as fast as they could. Rocks began falling from above, it was as if the whole thing was crumbling to pieces, they moved swiftly, avoiding the heavy debris raining down on them. Their heartbeats increased in pace and they struggled to fill their lungs with oxygen. They could see the light radiating from the opening at the top getting brighter and brighter as they got closer. Their legs felt heavy, like anchors falling to the depths of the ocean. Caroline could see they were almost there but she couldn't hold herself up much longer and collapsed before they reached the top. It took everything in Klaus' power to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way. Once he stepped foot inside the crevice with Caroline in his arms, the shaking gradually stopped and the wind began to die down. The ghostly entities swirled around in the air but they seemed to be repelled by whatever was surrounding the entrance to the summit.

Klaus breathed slowly, his lungs felt like they were closing in on him. Caroline was barely breathing, her eyes shut as she lied on the floor.

"Caroline!" He shook her a bit, trying to get her to respond.

Her eyes opened slightly. "We made it," she said, weakly. He nodded, delicately caressing her face.

The cavern was dark but he could hear the sound of rushing water all around. He found it odd that there would be running water inside the very tip of a mountain but considering where they were, nothing was impossible. The place suddenly became illuminated by a bright light emanating from the ground in the center of the cave. Klaus didn't have the strength to move but he could tell there was an opening that seemed bottomless. There were three waterfalls surrounding it, dumping immeasurable amounts of water into it. The light went in and out, like a flashlight.

He looked over at Caroline who was fast asleep and he noticed her chest was now rising and falling more steadily. She looked like an angel with her golden hair falling down in waves over her face. Her impeccable fair skin had a light blush tone from the heavy effort and her soft lips had obtained a pale shade of pink. He came to rest beside her, and gently kissed her lips before closing his eyes.

_To be continued..._

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! :) Reviews are much appreciated...<strong>

**Next chapter will be uploaded tomorrow.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, everyone! And thank you, thank you, thank you for all your reviews! If my head gets any bigger, I won't be able to walk through the door LOL You guys are too kind :)**

**Anyway, I come bearing gifts in the form of fluff and smut. I swear this chapter was supposed to be super cute and sweet but as soon as I started writing it just kind of got a little out of hand so it turned out a bit dirtier than I had planned. I guess Caroline/Klaus just have that effect on me :D**

**Enjoy & happy readings! **

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: The End of the Road<strong>

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><p>"So we're just supposed to jump in and <em>hope<em> this is really the portal?" Caroline looked at Klaus like he was crazy, dubiously raising an eyebrow.

"We don't really have a choice, other than just wander around this place aimlessly." He replied.

They both leaned over the large crater in the ground, the water went down in a spiral, like it was going down a drain. There was plenty of sunlight creeping in from outside but all they could see was a dark abyss. They looked at each other in silence, knowing the major risk they were taking.

"We're safe here right?" She asked, pulling away from the bottomless pit.

"I believe so." He said, giving her a tender look.

"Good. That means we can take a little bit of time then to decide whether we're ready to jump to our possible deaths." Caroline replied, leaning against the wall as she took a seat on the ground and removed her shoes.

Klaus smiled at her, taking a seat next to her. The sun hit the inside of the cavern at just the right angle. The water cascading down the three waterfalls sparkled vibrantly and the tiny drops of water bouncing off of them shined like tiny pieces of diamonds; it was a beautiful sight.

"Tell me about her..." She said, still admiring the waterfalls.

Klaus' eyes wandered about, before looking over at her. She turned to him, her request still pending.

"She was the first girl I ever loved," he began, "we were all human then..."

Caroline couldn't deny she felt a little jealous and she couldn't help wondering if his feelings were perhaps irreplaceable. A sense of insecurity crept over her, at the thought of him never loving anyone more or even as much as this girl.

"But honesty and loyalty meant nothing to her." He continued. This peaked Caroline's interest.

"It seems like the dopplegangers are destined to always fall in love with more than one man," he chuckled, "and to make things even more _interesting_... brothers."

Caroline's raised her eyebrows as her mouth slightly dropped. Her thoughts went back to Elena who for a while now had been trying to decide between the Salvatores, without ever making a final choice.

"Elijah." He simply stated.

"Wow." She said, unable to put together a better response.

Klaus told her the whole story, from Tatia playing with both and making them believe she loved one more than the other, to the day her mother decided to intervene. He recounted the story of how they were turned and this time included the fact that Tatia's blood had been used in the ritual.

"You must have been devastated. Both of you." Her quiet reply caused him to smile slightly.

"We were for a while. After that, I kind of just turned my back on anything that would make me feel that human again." He admitted.

Klaus turned towards her, taking her hand between his as he gazed into her eyes. She'd seen that look many times before. He stared at her like she was a rare precious jewel or his most cherished possession.

"But you're different," his fingers ran over her hand, "to be perfectly honest, this was not part of my plan at all. I was never expecting it to get this far."

Caroline smiled, giving that sweet flirty look that told him she was extremely flattered.

"Well that makes two of us." She replied.

She stood up, took a few steps towards the first waterfall, and peeked around it. There was a hollow area, and Klaus watched her disappear behind it. He came to his feet and followed her. As he entered, he saw Caroline sticking her hand in the water, letting it drip between her fingers and she smiled at him like she was trying something new for the first time. They walked over to the second waterfall and then to the third, discovering that the area behind this one was larger and took the appearance of a grotto. There was water dripping over their heads and running along the walls, collecting into a small shallow pool in the middle. Caroline's eyes widened and her face lit up like a kid in a candy store. Klaus saw her expression and smiled to himself.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"If you're impress by this, I can only imagine your face when you see all the other astounding places the world has." He smirked.

Caroline dipped her bare feet into the shallow waters and took a seat on one of the rocks. Klaus removed his shoes, throwing them over to the side and perched himself next to her.

"You know my offer still stands. I want to take you places, show you things you've never seen, and give you everything you deserve."

Caroline intertwined her fingers, positioning them over her lap. "What's going to happen with Elena?" She asked, a very serious tone to her voice.

The question took him by surprise. The whole time they'd been on the island, she hadn't once brought up the subject. She had mentioned her friends back home but never directly questioned him about his plans to keep using Elena's blood for his own devious purposes. He noticed how bothered Caroline was by this but after everything that had happened between them, he had already made up his mind. Klaus knew what his future plans consisted of and it had nothing to do with the doppleganger or creating more hybrids.

"I know what I've done, Caroline. And I don't expect you to just forget all about it and forgive me for it. I know that nothing I say or do will change anything." Silence lingered for a few seconds before he continued. "I promise to leave her alone. I won't hurt her." His words were sincere and his expression stern.

"You would really do that for me?" She asked incredulous, a tiny smile appearing on her face.

"I'd do that and much more." He replied, leaning in for a kiss, "come with me..." he whispered against her lips, Caroline's only response was a nod and a hum before making full contact with his mouth.

She pulled away abruptly, much to his dismay, placing a hand over his cheek.

"What if it's true? What if I don't remember a thing when we get back?" She spoke softly, "I don't want to forget."

"I don't believe for one second a single word that came out of her mouth." He answered. "But if worse comes to worst, I guess I'll have no other choice but to kidnap you." A mischievous smirk materialized on his face.

"Very funny..." She replied, playfully splashing water at him.

Klaus' reaction made her laugh until he grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her over to the waterfall. She giggled and at the same time tried to free herself from his grasp. He put her back on her feet, the water partially falling over them.

"I won't let you forget." He said, cupping her face.

He looked at her intensely, bringing his mouth closer. His lips brushed against hers, as they became soaked by the cascading waters. She locked her lips with his, sucking down gently, savoring every moment. His tongue glided over the edge of her mouth and her lips parted, her tongue meeting his half way as they began to eagerly dart in and out of each other's mouth. Klaus broke the kiss for a second, a fiery look in his eyes, as he muttered the words that rocked Caroline to the core.

"I love you..."

They were soft, and carefully enunciated. Caroline had no reply, she was frozen, and screaming at herself internally for not being able to reciprocate his declaration. Her insides were on fire and her mind was on overdrive. She wanted to say the words but something inside her prevented her from doing it. Klaus dove into her mouth again, before she could begin to process a coherent answer.

The taste of his lips blended with the cold water raining over them as the heat between her legs raged uncontrolled. Their bodies were covered in moisture and his hands clung to her lower back, as his lips left her mouth and nibbled the side of her neck. Caroline began panting, wanting him to take her completely and make love to her like it was the last chance they'd ever get. Her hands raked over the back of his shirt, tugging down at the fabric desperately, as he continued to nip at her neck, his teeth carefully scraping over her skin.

"I need you..." She moaned, her center aching to have him inside.

Klaus' hand slid down her side, outlining every curve until his fingers came to rest at the band of her shorts. He bit down on her lip, relishing in her flesh as he slipped his hand inside. Caroline's panting grew even louder as his fingers explored her delicate area, parting her skin and gently stroking her point of pleasure. His cock stiffened at the sound of her uncontrolled whimpers. Her hands moved rampantly over his back as she continued to yank on his shirt, trying to remove it from his body. Klaus took his hand out from underneath her shorts, allowing her to pull the shirt over his head. He promptly slipped off her top and unhooked her bra to let her breasts flow freely. The touch of the cold water caused her nipples to harden instantly and he couldn't help taking them between his fingers, gently applying pressure to them. Caroline arched her back, bringing her chest closer to him. Her hands moved freely over his pants, pressing against his hardness and Klaus closed his eyes reveling in the feeling. They got rid of their remaining articles of clothing, standing naked underneath the running water, as their lips once again latched on to each other.

Caroline's tongue glided over his neck, sucking at it gently as his hands rand down her back, kneading her rear before clutching on to her thighs. He hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his hips as he introduced his length into her tight opening. She moaned and whimpered in enjoyment, taking pleasure in the friction of his rapid movements. Her hips moved in a circular pattern against him and then she began bouncing in an upwards motion as he continued to push his cock inside her, invading her depths.

The cold water cascaded over them as they became consumed in each other, lost in the thrilling sense of gratification. Caroline could feel herself getting closer to erupting as their bodies continued moving in the same rhythm. They both parted their lips, exhaling warm breath into each other, breathing in sequence. She felt him thrust into her over and over again, until he brought her over the edge. His name escaped her lips as she felt her body get overcome by feelings of euphoria and fulfillment. She threw her head back for a moment, the water falling over her chest, before bringing her face close to his.

"Your turn..." She whispered, smiling against his lips.

Klaus kissed her passionately, continuing to push himself into her. His breathing intensified and Caroline could tell he was ready to let himself go any second.

"Wait..." She said breathlessly.

He was taken aback by her reaction but Caroline had other plans in mind.

"I want to try something different." She stated, biting down on her lip as she unraveled her legs from his waist.

Klaus' mouth dropped open as he took in the sight of her, lowering herself to his fully erect cock. He let out a gasp as her sweet soft lips wrapped around his pulsating length and he watched her take him in, deeper every time. She sucked with fervor, causing a heightened sense of stimulation unlike any other. Her head moved in and out and her tongue swirled around, providing an exhilarating feeling. Klaus felt a rise in temperature and an increase in his heart rate, and before he could think of anything else, his head became clouded with a rush of elation as he spurt into her mouth. Caroline slurped every last drop of his warm fluid, licking off the remnants from the tip of his cock, before coming back to her feet.

She looked up and opened her mouth, taking in the cold water from the falls and running her fingers through her hair. Klaus drew her in closer, resting his forehead on hers and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

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><p>They stared at each other quietly, once again standing at the edge of the dark abyss. Caroline took a deep breath and nodded, taking a hold of Klaus' hands. The large crater lit up again and even though the light was intensely bright, Caroline noticed something in its midst. A thin clear veil spread across it, waves of energy emanating from it, only a few feet below. This gave them a sense of reassurance and Klaus decided to test it out before taking the plunge.<p>

He got a hold of a large rock and tossed it in. It vanished as soon as it touched the thin mantle, creating a spark of energy in the process. Caroline looked at him, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"This is it." She said with conviction.

"Are you ready, love?" He asked, extending his arm to her.

"Ready," she replied, clasping on to his hand.

They both took one last deep breath and jumped in.

_To be continued..._

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><p><em><em>**I'm in the process of revising the next chapter and should have it all done and ready to publish by tomorrow. Only two chapters left! I can't believe it's almost over. **

**Don't forget to leave me a quick review! Thank you for reading :) xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Just wanted to take a quick moment to point out a review from my last chapter because it seriously made me LOL. 'qwerty' asked if they had jumped into the portal naked and how did they know they wouldn't get transported into a room full of people. You guys! I laughed so much picturing that actually happening! I don't know if 'qwerty' was just joking but just in case anyone else was a bit confused, Klaus and Caroline were both dressed. I didn't go into detail and was hoping the use of the horizontal line was enough to signal a passage of time HAHA.**

**Ok, now that I cleared that up, I present to you the new chapter. Enjoy & happy readings, everyone! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Back Home<strong>

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><p>Caroline tried to breath but instead of oxygen, her lungs filled up with large amounts of water that caused a sharp stinging sensation in her nose and throat. She opened her eyes to find herself submerged in the depths of an unknown body of water as she felt her body sinking deeper and deeper. She could see the sun shining overhead as her arms treaded frantically and she kicked with force, struggling to reach the surface. She continued battling her way up, when out of nowhere a pair of strong hands seized a hold of her waist, pulling her to safety. She emerged gasping for air and coughing up water she had accidentally swallowed. Her head turned, discovering that Klaus had been the one to pull her out and she immediately wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the nook of his neck. He smiled, breathing out a sigh of relief when he realized this meant that nothing had changed between them. Their eyes surveyed the area and Caroline shrieked in excitement aware of their location.<p>

"We're in Mystic Falls!" She exclaimed. "Literally!"

Klaus noticed the falls at the other side of the waterhole and gave Caroline a smile. The chirping of birds broke the silence until little by little the woods that surrounded them came to life. They could hear the wildlife running freely and the occasional splash of the fish swimming in the water. As if that wasn't enough proof that they were back home, the sound of a jet's engine caused them to look up and they watched it fly across the cloudless, blue sky, leaving a trail of white smoke behind. Klaus glanced at Caroline, fascinated by her delighted expression.

"Are you okay?" He asked, taking a hold of her chin.

"I'm fine! Perfect!" She answered with enthusiasm before bursting into a fit of giggles.

They swam to the edge and climbed out to solid ground. Caroline looked up at the sky, absorbing the heat radiating from the sun and breathing in the air around her. Klaus had never seen her so happy before; her joy was contagious.

"I remember everything." She said, leaning in to give him a long kiss on the lips.

"I guess this means I don't have to kidnap you after all." Klaus answered, kissing her again.

"No, that won't be necessary." She grinned.

"I'm just glad you're safe and out of danger, love." He remarked, with a smile. "We should probably get you home, now."

Caroline couldn't wait to get to her house and take a long hot shower. She looked down at the rags covering her body, wanting to dispose of them immediately and change into clean clothes. She had never in her life looked more forward to stepping into her bedroom, lying down on her soft, cushioned bed, and sipping on one of her delicious blood bags. Her mouth watered at the thought and her mind was going crazy with everything she was planning on doing, when reality slowly dawned on her. She looked at Klaus who gave her a knowing smirk. He had already thought of what being home really meant for them and their newly developed relationship, but she seemed so happy that he didn't want to be the one to crush her spirits.

"Right... back home, back to real life problems." She muttered.

She knew Damon and Stefan would be less than pleased by their blooming romance but Elena was the only one who's opinion really mattered to her. After all, she was the one at the center of everything. Then there was Tyler, who had absolutely not idea how drastically Caroline's feelings had shifted after weeks of being with Klaus. He was probably expecting to have his bubbly, cheery girlfriend back and ready to pick up where they had left off.

Things couldn't have been more different. The thought of telling him the truth and breaking his heart made Caroline feel sick to her stomach. He didn't deserve this but it wasn't like she had planned for things to turn out this way. She knew he'd probably hate her but she was willing to take that chance.

"I'll talk to them. I'll tell them that you're not a danger to them or Elena and that we're leaving Mystic Falls." She stated.

"You really think it's going to be that easy?" He asked, unconvinced.

"They'll have to understand. If you're no longer a threat then there's no reason for them to harm you, especially if you're going to be thousands of miles away." A tone of certainty enveloped her words. He tilted his head and smiled.

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><p>They walked through the woods, the sun slowly beginning to set. Caroline's mouth moved non-stop, talking about a million things at once, while Klaus only listened attentively and smiled. They both came to an abrupt halt, when they heard voices accompanied by footsteps heading in their direction. They looked at each other, knowing exactly who they belonged to. The voices grew louder as the distance between them diminished.<p>

"What did I tell you, guys?" Damon asked the group, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

He stood in front of Caroline and Klaus, along with Stefan and Elena. Walking right behind them were Bonnie and Tyler. They all stopped, a startled and confused look on their faces when they saw Klaus was with her.

"What is he doing here?" Bonnie asked, narrowing her eyes.

Elena ran to Caroline, embracing her tightly and telling her how glad she was to see her again. Stefan and Damon gave Klaus a hostile look, their arms crossed over their chest.

"Caroline!" Tyler's voice rang in.

Elena broke the hug as he hurried to her side, taking Caroline in his arms. Klaus stared at them bitterly, jealously consuming him from the inside. Tyler cupped her face and went in for a kiss but she turned her face at the last minute, much to his surprise.

"What's wrong?" He asked, darting a menacing look at Klaus.

"Don't look at me, I didn't do anything," he paused, "well, not entirely." Klaus goaded as Tyler clenched his jaw, taking a step towards him. Caroline turned to Klaus, a reprimanding look on her face.

"Tyler, I promise I'll explain everything. Just don't ask me to do it now." She replied, placing a hand over his chest to keep him from initiating an altercation.

"Well, can you please tell _me_ what he's doing here?" Bonnie asked again. "That signal wasn't meant for him, Caroline. You were supposed to make it out of there alone." Her voice was filled with anger and disappointment.

"Bonnie, thank you. At first I didn't know what it was, and I would've been trapped there forever if it hadn't been for you." Caroline responded, ignoring her question all together.

She took a stand next to Klaus and pumped her chest up courageously. Giving him a reassuring glance before proceeding.

"Klaus and I are leaving town." She announced.

"What?" Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise, glancing back at the rest of the group.

Stefan and Damon both gave each other perplexed looks but didn't say anything on the matter. Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, scrutinizing Klaus and Caroline's behavior, thinking that maybe he might have compelled her. It soon became evident that wasn't the case.

"Are you crazy?" Bonnie chimed in. "He doesn't deserve to live." She muttered.

"Bonnie.." she paused, "I don't expect you to understand." She uttered with a dismal look on her face.

"What are you talking about, Caroline?" Tyler stepped forward, demanding a proper explanation.

Caroline shook her head, pursing her lips. "Look I can't explain things right now, but just know that a lot has happened. We've been gone for over a month."

"Caroline, you've only been gone for five days." Tyler informed her, placing his hands on her arms.

Her eyes widened and she looked over at Klaus who was just as astounded by the news as she was. If she thought they were going to have a difficult time understanding her situation this only made things that much worse. They'd never be able to comprehend her feelings when to them she'd only been gone for a few days.

"I've already made my decision. He promised to never bother you again, Elena." Caroline looked at her as Elena shifted her eyes between her and Klaus.

"She's compelled!" Tyler stated before coming face to face with Klaus.

He grabbed him by the collar but Klaus only smirked, knowing the young hybrid was no match for him. If he was looking for a fight he was most certainly going to find it and he was a fool to think he actually had a chance at winning. He tilted his head towards Caroline, raising an eyebrow, signaling that if provoked he wasn't planning to hold back.

"What did you do to her?" Tyler asked, the rage evident in his voice.

"Take your hands off me. I promised Caroline I wouldn't hurt Elena but I never said anything about you. Don't tempt me." Klaus warned him.

"Tyler let go of him!" Caroline ordered, "and I'm not compelled, ok? I'm not." She repeated.

"Then why are you defending him?" Tyler was now directing his anger towards her.

"It's not the time or place for this." She replied sternly.

Damon shifted his position, taking a few steps towards them. "Enough with the melodrama! Point is, he can't stay here," he pointed at Klaus, "you brought him back so now we have to take care of it."

"No! There's nothing to take care of! He won't do anything, why can't you guys understand that?" Caroline raised her voice.

Both Stefan and Damon chuckled and shook their heads, unable to believe that one of their own was now defending the one person who had done nothing but cause trouble and misery for them.

"We have some unfinished business to take care of." Stefan announced.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

"While Bonnie and Elena were busy trying to contact you," Damon raised his eyebrows at Caroline, "my brother and I made a little discovery about the originator of our bloodline, and guess what? It's not Klaus." A twisted look appeared on his face.

"Well, did you forget Tyler _is_ part of his bloodline?" Caroline spat back.

Tyler took a defensive stance, knowing that the Salvatores were willing to sacrifice him if it meant getting rid of Klaus. It was every man for himself now and he wasn't planning on going down without a fight.

"Sometimes it's necessary to make sacrifices for the greater good." Damon replied with a shrug.

In one quick motion he pulled the white oak stake from underneath his jacket and launched himself at Klaus. Tyler charged at him without hesitation, knowing that if Klaus died he would die along with him. Stefan jumped in to protect his brother and began a tussle with Tyler. Things escalated quickly and the three girls found it impossible to keep up with their rapid movements. Klaus took a hold of Damon's arm as they struggled on the ground for control of the stake. Caroline tried to run to his aid but promptly got stopped by Bonnie, falling to the ground in pain before reaching him.

"Bonnie what are you doing?" Elena yelled, "You can't let them kill him!"

"I'm sorry, Elena. I have to let them resolve this once and for all." She replied, calmly.

"But Tyler!" Elena screamed frantically.

Bonnie swallowed hard and closed her eyes, knowing that she was practically giving her consent to end the life of one of her friends. She could do something to stop them or she could let her hate for Klaus win and let the Salvatores kill him, even if that made Tyler collateral damage.

Klaus and Damon continued to exchange blows, while Stefan took control of Tyler. They were each fighting their own battle as Elena and Caroline watched in horror, unable to do anything.

Stefan propelled Tyler through the air, his back slamming against a tree. He landed in all fours as he hit the ground, his face transforming into a vampiric state and his eyes acquiring a yellow tint. He hurled himself at Stefan, pinning him to the ground, ready to take a bite out of him, when a sharp pain hit his skull.

Bonnie stood in front of them with her hands extended overhead. Tyler fell to the ground in agony and Caroline realized the magic wasn't only affecting him but also Klaus. She watched him place his hands on his head and shut his eyes trying to manage the torture. Damon saw this as the perfect opportunity to finish what he had started, he took aim at his heart and lowered the stake into him. In a split second, Caroline had once again managed to wedge herself between the piece of wood and Klaus' body, the stake puncturing her in the chest, mere inches from her heart.

"No!" Elena cried out, tears bursting from her eyes as she ran to her.

Damon stood up, his eyes wide in shock. He slowly stepped away from Caroline, Klaus still holding her in his arms. Once Elena reached her she placed her hand under Caroline's head and pulled the stake out of her chest. Klaus was overtaken by rage, his eyes glowing bright gold as veins accumulated under his eyes. He furiously went on the attack, wanting to rip Damon to pieces. His rage was short lived as Bonnie once again incapacitated him, causing him to collapsed. Damon and Stefan both disappeared into the woods as Tyler remained on the ground, too stunned by the incident to even move.

"You're going to be okay." Elena whispered into her hair, gently touching her cheek with her hand.

"Elena..." Caroline struggled to speak.

"Shhhhh... don't talk."

Klaus returned to her side, biting into his wrist and feeding her his blood.

"She's going to heal. Let me take care of her." His request ignited wariness in the three remaining members of the group.

Elena looked a him, unsure of what to say, but she knew this was probably for the best. She watched him bring his wrist up to Caroline's mouth, gently taking her into his arms. If there was one thing she was sure of was that Klaus would keep her safe. She nodded without saying a word, agreeing to let him take her with him.

"Elena..." Caroline spoke again.

"Caroline, you're going to be fine. Klaus' blood will make you better. Don't worry." She replied, comforting her.

"I love him." She finally said, a tiny smile appearing on her face, before she shut her eyes, drifting into unconsciousness.

_To be continued..._

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><p><strong>Please leave me a quick review! :) I'll be updating again tomorrow.<strong>_  
><em>


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm updating a bit earlier today... It's finally here! The conclusion to my first ever multi-chapter Klaroline fic. It's so funny to think that a couple weeks ago I was just planning to write it and now it's all finished! I hope it leaves you guys satisfied; gotta warn you it's a little on the fluffy side. As always enjoy and happy readings! :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: The Rest of Forever<strong>

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><p>Caroline opened her eyes, noticing she wasn't in her bedroom. Deep red, silky sheets wrapped around her body, sliding over her skin like butter as she turned on her side. Her head rested on a plump feathery pillow that molded itself around her, providing the perfect comfort. She rolled on the bed a couple times, extending her arms on each side to take in its vastness. Daylight slipped in through the window from behind the curtains as she encased herself in the warm covers. She could smell his scent all over them, it was unmistakeable, she knew this was Klaus' bed.<p>

She peeked underneath the sheets, noticing that she was no longer wearing that poor excuse of an outfit she'd been striding around in for the past few weeks. Her body was covered by her own clothes and she realized Klaus must have made a trip to her house to get them for her. Her hand glided over her torso, touching the spot where the stake had pierced her chest. The skin was smooth and firm, no trace of the damage that had been inflicted remained. She smiled to herself and sighed, thankful to be alive and safe. The sound of a door opening and closing caught her attention. Her head turned to a separate section of the bedroom and she raised herself up to a seated position, resting her back against the bed's headboard.

Klaus walked in, hair damp, and a towel wrapped around his waist that barely concealed the v-shaped lines running from his hips to his nether region. Caroline released an inaudible gasp, when she saw him.

"Good morning, sweetheart." He said with a smile in that irresistible accent, as he opened drawers and rummaged through his clothes.

"Good morning." She answered, still wrapped in the soft, crisp sheets.

She watched him get dressed, still very much impressed by his physique even after all they'd been through. He walked towards her, placing his hands on the bed and climbing up next to her.

"If you feel the way you look, then I can tell you're feeling amazingly well." He said, running his fingers over her cheek.

Caroline smiled, "Thanks to you... again." She placed her hand behind his neck, her fingers making contact with his wet hair, and pulled him in for a soft kiss on the lips.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow and letting a smile form on his face.

"Your blood is satisfying and everything but I do have to admit I've been craving some human blood." She admitted.

"Very well, I"ll go see what I can find you. An unsuspecting tourist shouldn't be hard to come by." He replied, sliding off the bed.

Caroline's eyes widened and her eyebrows arched over them as her lips slightly parted, ready to protest. Klaus' smile soon turned into a laugh and her expression changed to that of bewilderment.

"It was a joke, love. I know you prefer your blood in plastic bags." He explained.

She exhaled relieved and scolded him with one look. "And I'd prefer to keep it that way, if possible."

Klaus gave her his signature devilish smirk and walked out of the room in search of blood bags. She took this opportunity to finally hop in the shower and properly wash herself off. The water felt refreshing and the smell of shampoo on her hair had never made her happier. After she was done, she noticed there was another set of clothes for her resting on a chair, she changed into them and waited for him to return with her breakfast.

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><p>Caroline slurped every last drop, tilting her head back and squeezing the bag between her fingers. She licked her lips and smiled at Klaus who was seated at the foot of the bed, watching her in silence.<p>

"So what happened while I was out?" She asked, handing him the empty piece of plastic.

He caught a hold of it and threw it in the waste basket next to the dresser. "Your friends weren't very happy with me taking you away, especially not Tyler." He said, scrutinizing Caroline's reaction.

She let her feet dangle off the side of the bed before placing them on the floor and hopping off. Her arms reached up high, and she arched her back, stretching as far as possible as she walked over to the window. She ran her fingers through her wet hair, sweeping it over to one side. Her hands pulled the curtains away, allowing the sun to penetrate the room entirely. The driveway was empty; the greenery of the lawn and trees were the only thing in sight.

"What happened to Stefan and Damon?" She asked but before Klaus could give her an answer she continued, "Bonnie hates me, doesn't she? Well, Bonnie and Tyler." There was a tone of melancholy to her voice.

Klaus was prepared to deal with the aftermath of their actions. He knew very well that it wasn't going to be easy for her to take the rejection of the people she had grown so close to. But he was convinced that time would one day heal her wounds and that the loss of her friends was only temporary. They'd eventually take her back, after all she was one of their own.

"Stefan and Damon both escaped before I could get my hands on them." He said, resentment still evident in his voice, "as for Bonnie and Tyler, I can't even begin to fathom how anyone would be capable of hating someone like you."

Caroline turned around, leaning back and placing both hands against the window sill.

"I owe them an explanation," she began, "I can't just leave without telling them everything."

Klaus' look was that of understanding but he couldn't help feeling a bit apprehensive at the thought of Caroline being alone with Tyler. Thoughts of him convincing her to stay or even telling her she was making a mistake, put him on edge. He paced from one side of the room to the other, pondering with his eyebrows furrowed. Caroline noticed he was feeling uneasy and left her spot by the window to go stand by his side.

"Did you hear what I said to Elena last night?" She asked, placing her hands on his arms. "The only reason I intercepted that stake was because I couldn't bear the thought of losing you." She stared at him with doleful eyes. Klaus shifted his gaze from her eyes to her lips as he listened carefully.

"This time, it wasn't because I was desperately trying to protect Tyler. And I know it sounds terrible because he's my friend, but the only thing I was thinking of at that moment was that I had to save _you_." She paused, her eyes glistening as she spoke. "I thought of how much it would hurt and how miserable it would make me, and I know that sounds selfish and..."

Klaus cut her words short with his lips, before she could finish her sentence. He nipped at them softly, basking in her taste. They slowly pulled away and she looked at him, smiling before she spoke again.

"I love you." She stated. The declaration made her feel fulfilled, as if it was something that had been missing all along.

He stared into her eyes, the words resonating deep inside him. He'd been longing for this moment all this time, and it had finally come to fruition. Klaus knew that she was his and only his, that he would no longer have to compete with anyone for her affection. He finally had what he'd always wanted. Caroline would be his priority and the only person that would fill all his waking hours.

"You have no idea what those words mean to me." He said, closing the gap between their lips.

Their flesh brushed against each other, producing ripples of electricity that travelled to every part of their body. The touch of their lips, igniting the fire in both of them. They took steps towards the bed without breaking apart for a second, until the back of Caroline's legs hit the edge of the mattress. Klaus put his hands on her side, lifting her up as she came to rest over the undone sheets and covers. She felt the weight of his body on hers as he climbed on top of her. He clasped on to her lips again, moving slowly against her point of entrance, the friction causing a rise under his pants and producing a build up of moisture between her legs.

It wasn't long before they were both bare under the covers, giving themselves completely to one another. Klaus' lips explored every inch of her smooth, fair skin with delicacy, producing sensations that up until then had been unfamiliar to Caroline. There was a mixture of sweetness and subtlety to the way he touched her and the way he moved inside her. She was fascinated by this new experience, it was better than anything she'd ever felt. No one had ever made love to her the way Klaus did and she knew that no one ever would.

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><p>Caroline stood right outside the mansion's entrance, her blonde waves fell over her shoulders as she tucked her hands inside her pockets. She leaned to one side, placing most of her weight on one leg, as Klaus watched her from the door.<p>

"I'll be back before sunset." She announced, looking up, noticing the sun had barely reached its highest point in the sky. "It shouldn't take too long to talk to them and you did say I didn't have to pack every single thing in my room." The realization of abandoning the place she'd called home her whole life, suddenly hit her. "I honestly think that speaking to my mom will be the most difficult part." She said with downcast eyes.

Klaus nodded with a very faint smile etched on his face. "I'll be waiting." He replied.

She shook her head up and down, pursing her lips, concealing the happiness she felt every time she thought of their future life together. She twirled around, walking at a speedy pace before becoming just a blur, disappearing from Klaus' sight.

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><p>Speaking to Elena wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be, although the unavoidable subject of Jenna brought about countless buried emotions. The visit left Caroline feeling more like a monster and less like a human. She considered her willingness to put Klaus' horrible deeds in the past a sign of her fading humanity. No matter how wrong she knew that was, she stood her ground and owned up to her decisions.<p>

Elena didn't have much to say on Caroline's developed feelings for Klaus, considering she was currently dealing with her own relationship problems and conflicting emotions. She knew more than anyone what it was like to love unconditionally and look past the other person's faults for the sake of having those feelings reciprocated.

Bonnie was a different story. Caroline showed up at the Bennett's home a few hours past noon. She must have rung the doorbell over a hundred times but no one ever answered. She took a seat on the steps, waiting to see if anyone came home without any luck. Something inside her told her that Bonnie just didn't want to see her or hear her explanations. She was stubborn, and rightly so, but it still pained Caroline to know this was one friend she'd probably never get back. Her vision became blurry as the tears accumulated in her eyes, and they streamed down her face, hitting the pavement under her feet. After a few minutes of crying, she wiped the tears off her face and fanned her eyes with her hands.

She looked up at the sky as she rose from the steps and came to her feet. She knew she had to get to Tyler's house soon, if she was planning on making it back to Klaus before nightfall.

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><p>Caroline took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her finger pressed the doorbell. The Lockwood estate seemed quiet and she was hoping the visit to Tyler wouldn't turn out to be a repeat of Bonnie's. After a few rings, the door swung open and the mayor stood before her with a condescending look.<p>

"Is Tyler home?" Caroline asked.

"I knew the moment I found out you were one of them, that you weren't right for my son." The mayor replied with a huff.

Caroline tried to be polite and remain cordial, after all, she wasn't there to argue with her ex's mother. "I just need to speak to him one last time."

"He's not home." She said dryly. "But I'm sure you'll know where to find him."

Caroline nodded as she turned around and headed towards the woods. She hurried to reach the Lockwood cellar and sure enough found Tyler sitting on the steps of the entrance. He glanced up at her, with reproachful eyes, before looking away.

"What do you want?" His voice sounded rough and careless.

"I'm leaving tonight." She began.

"And what do you want me to do, throw you a going away party?" He rolled his eyes.

"Tyler, I feel like I owe you at least an explanation for all this." She took a few steps towards him but remained standing. "I..." she stammered, "I never meant for this to happen." She said with a sigh.

"Look, Caroline, I don't know what he said to you or what he promised you, but how can you be sure that he truly meant it?" He looked up at her again, small creases forming on his forehead.

"Don't ask me that. I just know." She exhaled loudly, "If I had any control over my feelings, you can be sure that things would've happened differently. I hate myself for hurting you, I know you don't deserve this, but I can't change what I feel. You deserve to know the truth, and the truth is that I fell in love with him." Her words were brutally honest but they had to be said no matter how much they stung.

"You can." He replied.

"What?" She mumbled.

"You can change how you feel. _He_ can change how you feel." He affirmed.

"Are you suggesting..."

Tyler cut her off. "If he really loves you, Caroline, he'll do that for you. He knows you're happy here, everyone you love is in Mystic Falls. Why does he want to take you away? It would be simple for him to just make you forget." He concluded.

Caroline shook her head as she blinked trying to get rid of the tears threatening to abandon her eyes. She felt a knot form in her throat at the thought of Klaus compelling her to forget what they had.

"Why are you being so selfish?" She blurted out. Tyler widened his eyes in surprised, offended by her question.

"_I'm_ being selfish? What about him? He's the one that wants you all to himself. He's the one taking you away!" Tyler raised his voice in anger, coming to his feet.

"He's not forcing me to go. I'm making this decision all on my own." She said with indignation.

"Well then I guess we're all guilty when it comes to selfishness, aren't we?" He asked.

"I'm done here. I've said what I wanted to say. And I'm sorry that I couldn't love you the way you would have wanted. But it looks like I was right..." She paused, "maybe we just weren't meant to be together, Tyler." She swallowed hard, composing herself.

"Well I hope you have a nice life." He replied with a hint of sarcasm, without even looking at her in the eyes.

Caroline had a feeling this meeting wasn't going to end amicably but she never thought Tyler would go as far as asking her to open herself up to compulsion just to keep her around. In her mind, she would've told him how sorry she was and then she would've said goodbye, giving him one last hug. Instead, she left him there, at the foot of the Lockwood cellar, bitter, angry and unforgiving.

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><p>She wrapped her arms around her mother and burst out in tears as she squeezed her tightly. Her eyes wandered around the house, she took note of every picture frame, every decoration, memorizing every detail of the home she had grew up in.<p>

After the embrace was over, they both took a seat in the living room. Caroline recounted her ordeal, carefully explaining her feelings for the man everyone considered the enemy. Her mother didn't seem surprised, on the contrary, she was understanding. Even though she wasn't thrilled with the idea of her taking off with him, she was positively sure that he would do everything to protect her and keep her safe.

"Klaus was here." She confessed.

Caroline's eyes lit up with surprise and curiosity at the news. "When?"

"Last night," she replied, "He told me everything and he assured me that I had nothing to worry about." She fell silent.

Caroline felt her heart flutter at the thought of him caring enough to come speak with her before their trip.

"I wasn't very receptive at first but he promised me that you would be very well taken care of and that he would make you happy." Her mother's eyes filled up with tears as she realized her little girl would no longer be around. "And that's all I've ever wanted for you. Happiness." She said between sobs.

Her arms wrapped around Caroline as they both started crying. Neither of them knew when they'd see each other again, but she was sure their separation wouldn't be for too long. There were ways around it without having to return to Mystic Falls.

After moments of crying and connecting with her mother, she walked up the stairs to her room. She stood at the entrance, glancing at all the mementos spread across her walls and adorning her furniture. Her walk-through was quick but she took the time to change her clothes before taking her suitcase out of her closet. She packed only the things she knew she couldn't live without, as well as small keepsakes that seemed useless but had great meaning to her. She pulled the handle on the suitcase and rolled it towards the door, turning back to take one last look at the place that had witnessed her growth and seen its share of laughter and tears. She said goodbye to the Forbes residence with one last hug to her mother, promising her that she would be seeing her in the near future.

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><p>The sun had already set, the night enveloping everything in darkness. Klaus looked impatiently out the window, hoping to see Caroline show up at any minute. The wait was becoming perilous as he began to think of reasons why she hadn't made it back before sunset, like she had promised. He would be lying if he didn't admit that the idea of her changing her mind and running away with Tyler hadn't occurred to him. But he quickly brushed it away, remembering all the moments they had shared. He continued to wait, hopeful that she would make a late appearance.<p>

Klaus looked over at the clock as it stroke nine. The door to the mansion was open, and it had been since the sun began to set. He stepped outside and walked down the steps into the driveway. He lifted up his wrist and glanced at his watch one more time when he saw her, approaching him in the distance. She was dressed in long black jeans that elongated her slender legs, the sound of her boots hitting the pavement grew louder the closer she got. The navy blue top she wore wrapped around her gracefully, secured by a belt that accentuated her waist. He smiled as he watched her reach the steps, dragging along a suitcase that any other person would consider too big and heavy for a girl like her to carry around.

"I was beginning to worry." He said, a smile still evident on his face as he cupped her face, pressing her lips against hers.

"I'm sorry. Things didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped, but I'm here now." She grinned. "My mom told me you went to see her..."

Klaus dug his hands in his pockets, pursing his lips, and nodded. "I felt it was necessary."

"Thank you," she muttered.

He noticed the sadness in her eyes and wrapped his arms around her. She let go of the suitcase and placed her hands on his back, resting her head against his chest.

"I promise you'll see her again, soon." He asserted and she smiled knowing that there was no doubt he'd make that happen.

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><p>They arrived at the airport without her having any knowledge of where they were headed. Her stomach felt like it was on a trampoline due to the excitement she was experiencing.<p>

"I'll be right back." He told her as she took a seat on one of the chairs.

Caroline watched him head to the counter and speak to the girl about purchasing tickets. She was definitely a bit amused by the fact that he was actually going to pay for them as opposed to just compelling her to get them for free. The girl smiled at him, making flirty little remarks that caused Caroline to roll her eyes. Klaus knew that she was listening, so when she asked for a destination he wrote it down on a piece of paper instead and handed it to her, placing a finger over his mouth and tilting his head towards Caroline. The girl looked at her and smiled a bit embarrassed. The transaction was speedy and he checked in the luggage before returning with tickets in hand.

"So are you finally going to tell me where we're going? She asked impatiently.

He handed her the envelope with the tickets, narrowing his eyes before letting go. "Any last minute guesses?" He teased.

"I'm sure I'll be happy as long as we're not planning on spending the rest of forever on a deserted island." She replied, causing him to chuckle.

Caroline pulled out the tickets, reading the destination printed on them and she looked up at Klaus, a huge grin spreading across her face.

**~THE END~**

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><p><strong>I couldn't not end this story on a happy note. I'm the biggest sucker for happily ever afters. As for the destination of their trip, does it really matter? The possibilities are endless! I thought about a specific place but then I figured the important thing was that they were together. <strong>

**Thank you so much for sticking with me until the end! I loved every single one of your reviews and I greatly appreciate your lovely words of encouragement.**

**See you guys around! If you wanna drop me a line, fangirl over Klaroline, etc. you can find me on Tumblr (reedusstew).**

**Ok, ending this by saying: HAPPY TVD THURSDAY! WE MADE IT THROUGH THE HIATUS! YAYAYAY! xoxo**


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